The Doppelganger Sword
by SourGummyWorms
Summary: Link is distraught after losing Midna forever. Hyrule is poverty stricken and collapsing from the ruins of war. When Zelda's arranged marriage threatens the throne, Link vanishes. He curses the Triforce and tries to ignore fate's calling. Run little wolf. I promise you won't read another like this. Review for Reviews
1. Fun House

**Fun House**

The door swung open with a loud bang as a gust of wind and a tornado of snow billowed into the doorway. I shivered as I stepped through the door frame and shut it quietly behind me. The howling noise of wind stopped instantly. I brushed off fallen snowflakes from my shoulders and hair and kicked the snow off my boots. The room was dark, and smelled of dank wood. It was different than the earthy smell of soil and bug bedding. This building was definitely not Agitha's anymore.

I stood in a dimly lit room, the same red ambience from outside lit the area. To my left was a shabby looking counter with an old silver bell and some miscellaneous papers scattered on top. Straight ahead of me was a pair of swinging doors, the open space underneath was obstructed by a hanging black cloth that was nailed crudely to the frame. Behind the door I heard raucous laughter and the faint smell of strong liquor. Perfect.

My footsteps creaked against the loud wooden floorboards as I made my way to the counter. Despite being inside, it was still freezing. My cheeks stung and my nose ached. There wasn't a fireplace in this oddly plain room. The walls were dark and the woodwork was morphed and rotting. My eyes soaked in the surrounding area as they grazed about the room. No photographs or tapestries on the wall. A poorly crafted wooden chair sat behind the counter and an unattended cup of Hylian black coffee sat forgotten in the corner. Drips of brown liquid laced the papers on the desk and counter and leaked out of the side of the cup. Messy…Then, plain as day, there was a sign in the corner that read, "Please Ring Bell For Assistance".

I picked up the cracked silver bell tentatively and swung it back in forth like a pendulum. The bell inside clanged against the silver and made a tiny jingling noise. At first nothing, and then a ruckus from behind the black veil.

A frightened teenage girl stepped from behind the black curtain. Her small bony fingers struggled to tie the strings of a skimpy pink robe around her waist. She was barefoot and disheveled looking. Her long brown hair hung in a messy ponytail with many strands lying loosely against her face. Her eyes grew as big as saucers when she saw me.

"Nayru! You nearly scared the whole damn place. What, with those bothersome guards sticking their noses in here and whatnot." She untied her robe and let its thin material separate to reveal a pair ginormous knockers mashed up together like a pair of angry melons. She straightened her posture and stuck out her chest haughtily. "Wait, you're not a part of the guard are you?..." she self-consciously folded her arms over her breasts as she eyed the sword that hung by my waist.

"Well…" I paused. Technically I was part of the guard. Best not to say it. "No, I'm not." My eyes glanced to her chest almost like a reflex.

She caught me staring and unfolded her arms slowly. "Then you needn't ring the bell. You must be new here. The bell is more of a… precautionary thing." I nodded my head in a slow agreement as I tried to peer beyond the black curtain. "Do you know where you're at sweetie? If you'd like, I can show you around." She bit her lip provocatively and batted her eyelashes at me.

"Whore house. Red light I get it. And no, I want someone a bit…fresher." I said as I eyed her ruffled hair and lopsided boobs. Her playful kitty cat face turned as if she had just drank sour milk.

She heaved her shoulders and sighed heavily. "Well let's fucking go then because it's cold in here." She slinked behind the black curtain and I followed like a stray dog that had just been given a bone. "Since this isn't your first time in a fun house, I'm sure you know the standard rules. We don't double up on girls and we don't have any homosexual males…." She turned a watchful eye on me as she said this. The lighting was better in here and I could see her face for clearer. For a young face she looked rather matured. When she talked I could see lines of concern, worry, and in her eyes was a dead, tired look.

She continued babbling about the rules and I tuned her out as I looked around the area. This was definitely not Agitha's anymore. The golden bug tree was gone and the hole from where it had been was covered with a cheap south eastern rug. The room was colored a deep crimson red and paper lanterns hung decoratively from the ceiling in an uneven pattern. Whoever decorated this place was not concerned about the overall appearance. Everything was placed haphazardly and looked disorganized. The building had been renovated since I was last here. More rooms were added and black curtains hung in the place of doors. This room still smelled like the dank wood. It was also had a hint of sweat mixed with sex and diluted with the numerous perfumes of the various girls in the house.

"If you need me at all, my name is Lettice. Can I get you a drink?" she finished her talking and my ears twitched excitedly as I heard the word drink. Of course that wasn't the only reason I came here, I liked the company of a beautiful woman just as well. I just liked to be a little sauced when meeting strangers.

"Ahh…whatcha got?" I licked my lips. Two brunettes giggled as they passed by. A thud sounded from the upstairs room.

"We have wine, ale, or if you want something really strong my dad supplies the moonshine for this place. We also have kava extract to numb your senses, but that will cost you." I tried not to grimace when she mentioned her father. Tough times for everybody apparently. A rupee was a rupee.

"Moonshine, and mix the kava in with it. Do you have any redheads?" I slipped off the outer coat I was wearing and a petite half-naked blonde came scurrying over to grab it before I had even fully removed it.

"Kili. She's on our upstairs unit so she's a bit pricier. Is that ok?" The same petite blonde haired woman sauntered over to me and handed me a mug. The light brown liquid sloshed about in the exchange and I already felt more at ease. I took a sip and it burned instantly down my throat. Bitter, pungent, and very potent.

"Sounds perfect. And keep these things coming. Add more kava next time." She made a face at my request. Kava tasted like absolute shit. It was an earthy, damp kind of herb. You can't smoke it but you can make an extract from it. It tastes harsh and bitter and has a vicious after taste. I like it though, it numbs the body without clouding the mind. I prefer the woozy buzzing of alcohol for my mind.

Lattice led me upstairs. I had odd ghostly memories of Agitha as we walked around her abandoned home. Her living area upstairs had been completely renovated. Instead of one large living space it was sectioned off rooms, organized by color and sizes. All her little trinkets and collectables and bug artifacts were gone. They were replaced by cheap wall-hangings and cheaply made trinkets that a shady traveling salesman would peddle.

The hallway stretched out and then turned right to reveal another halfway and another curve right. These hallways had more of a purple light to match the dark almost black walls. Lattice did not go down the entirety of the horseshoe shaped passage, she stopped short in the middle of the second one at a closed door frame. She placed her fingers on the doorknob and turned it shyly as she ushered me inside. "Kila will be right with you." She whispered cunningly as she winked and ducked behind the door.

A freshly washed bedspread stood to the right on a waist high bed. I tried not to take notice of how much the mattress had been sunken and worn in. I took another big gulp of the mixture and shook my head as it bit at my throat. I turned and caught my reflection in the mirror by the bed. It looked flat, as it usually did. My hair lay flat and unkempt against my face. I needed a haircut, I couldn't remember the last time I had seen the barber. The blonde hairs tickled and obstructed my eyesight. I pushed it over to the side and then felt silly for trying to impress a woman I was paying for. My eyes looked a dull azure color and my face looked pale and taunt. Deep circles underneath my eye sockets, I hadn't been sleeping well lately. Nightmares again… I laughed at the reflection and it sneered back at me. "Fuck you." I hazily mumbled. I took another great swig and finished the rest of my drink.

I felt the buzz of the alcohol instantly. I felt light headedness and the strange giddy enlightened feeling that only alcohol can bring. The kava hadn't kicked in yet, it usually took a couple minutes. As the ice swirled around in my cup, the door opened and I saw a wave of red hair sweep into the door. I felt a jab at my stomach, but that's what I get for picking redheads all the time.

Her face was turned away from me as she went to close the door behind her. In her left free hand stood another drink for me and a wet cloth for cleaning up afterwards. I sat down in the lone chair in the corner trying to make myself comfortable. Its material had once been plush was now hard and worn out. I felt jittery and tapped my foot continually as she situated herself.

Her fiery red hair hung a little past her collarbone in tight springy curls and lay loosely around her cheeks. She was wearing a very thin, translucent looking negligee that covered only half of her buttocks. The other half peeked out playfully, a creamy milk white color that jiggled when she stepped.

"Would you like the light off?" her voice was smooth and sultry. She glided across the room and placed the drink in my hand. Her chest was covered still by a thin piece of material. Her nipples poked out of the cloth playfully. Something down below throbbed, along with my arm. I took another drink, ignoring the itchy skin on my hand.

I nodded slowly as the kick of alcohol ran down my throat. The extract was starting to kick in finally. My legs felt numb and heavy, my arms relaxed and slow, my groin itched and tingled in a sick twisted sort of way. The alcohol was starting to blur my thoughts and make things seem fuzzy and fun. She blew out all but one candle and sauntered over to the chair. My legs were spread at this point and my lips were curved up in a perverse, animalistic smile. I looked at her clearly for the first time. Pale, milky skin, flushed cheeks, a cherub shaped face and pouty pink lips. Her eyes were brooding and amber in color. Something about her looked familiar… I grabbed the negligee to get a look at the rest.

She gasped and let out a tiny giggle as she puffed out her chest for me. She placed her arms around my neck and I pulled them down forcefully. She looked startled but I ignored her and continued to untie the string between her breasts. I shoved off the material heatedly and a look of self-consciousness crossed her round face. She caught my gaze and went to remove her undergarments as well. I smacked her arms away again and she looked at me abashed, as she awkwardly shuffled her arms back to her side. Her breasts were perky and supple. I grabbed one firmly and she let out a slight moan as I squeezed. Her moan didn't faze me. I could never tell if they were real at these kinds of places. The alcohol buzzed through me freely now as my groin pulsated and throbbed. My subconscious mind screamed dirty. My other side said to forget about it.

I squeezed again harder and pulled at her red hair. I felt nothing in doing so. It wouldn't ever be what I wanted to feel. She bit her lip and laughed in a nervously as she thrust her body into mine. I felt slightly annoyed and let go of her hair. I forced her panties off and she gasped in mock pleasure and/or surprise. It was a slight disappointment. She was unshaven and unkempt and her lips dangled a little too low for my liking, she giggled as I slipped her onto the bed. She grabbed my hand in delight, and instantly it pulsated as if on cue.

Instantly she stopped giggling. Her body that had once been so willing and pressing against mine, suddenly became rigid and stiff. The ditzy dumb broad look disappeared from her face and suddenly, underneath all the make-up and newly developed adult body was Kili. I thought I had recognized the name but it had been so long along. Kili used to hang outside the Star Academy booth with two of her friends. She had been a little girl then…the tingling sensation from my penis abruptly stopped and fell soft. She stared at me with the same abashed expression.

"Oh my Din! It's you! It's you Link! Oh I had the biggest crush on you and now you see me like this? Oh my goddesses!" she fumbled quickly to put on her meager clothes. I couldn't help but look at her boobs as they knocked back in forth as she pushed them into the cloth. I downed the rest of the drink.

Her face turned from embarrassment, to shock, to happiness all in one sitting. "Everyone thought you weren't going to come back. Were you out looking for the intruders? There have been so many rumors since you've been gone. The king hasn't been telling us anything and Princess Zelda doesn't talk to the public anymore. And what is happening to your arm? Is that a sign?" The happy spark in her eye soon faded as she gazed at the glowing symbol on my hand. It shined brightly in the dark and demanded attention.

"It's something." I was in no mood to sugar coat anything. I had been wondering why it acting up so profusely the past couple of weeks, I suspected danger myself. My tone was rather morose and I saw her face sink in disappointment.

"So the rumors are true." She said slowly as she sat down at the edge of the bed. It had only been a few years since I had last seen her, but she looked much older than she actually was. Her eyes were deep and sunken with worry and her lips were rigid and strained. "The one about the dragons." He eyes looked wide and fearful.

I positioned myself in a more composed posture. I had heard nothing of any dragons before. I had only been gone from Hyrule for a few weeks. What was happening out here? Part of me didn't care to know, the other part begged for information. "What's the rumors about the dragons?" I prodded, feeling awkward. I wasn't used to having conversations with these kinds of girls.

"They say someone has brought them back. There have been rumors of sightings beyond the realm of Hyrule. Out west, past Death Mountain and over the sea. They say they come bearing sickness and death with them. A curse of some sort." Her voice was soft as she fiddled with her fingers nervously as if afraid to speak. Even though my mind was still strumming with alcohol, I focused in on her words.

I had only seen one dragon in my life. It was a small one up in the Sky City. It was a Nardobrear, the flame winged dragon. It was very young and half demented however. I had only heard stories of the monstrous dragons of seas and stars. In fact no one had seen a dragon for centuries. People suspected they were extinct.

"And people are saying they are back?"

"People are scared." She stammered. "Your hand is glowing and Hyrule is already beginning to show signs of the dark age. This has been our longest winter to date. Our bridges are crumbling, the royal kingdom is no longer informing their people. There is so much crime here, and thieves and people are turning against each other." She sighed heavily and relaxed a little bit. "But you'll save us again? Won't you?" her voice was cheerful, but I heard the doubt as well. After all we were sitting together in this brothel. I'm sure the hope she had for me was dwindling quickly.

I went to prod her further but suddenly a bang resounded from downstairs. I heard the shrieking of several girls and instinctively I grabbed the hilt of my sword and stood up suddenly. The sudden change in elevation made my head rush as I took a stumbling step forward. Kili sat there frozen in shock as I ambled out the door.

I pushed my way through the hallway and had to catch myself against the wall. I was feeling the full effect of the potent concoction from earlier. My vision was blurred and hazy, the kava weighing me down like lead blocks as I stepped. Another thud from downstairs and angry shrieks of girls. A man's voice sounded out and I was surprised when I heard my name.

I lowered my grip on the sword when my vision came into focus. It's weight pulled it down heavily to my side. My shoulder leaned with it. At the end of the hallway stood one of Zelda's decorated servants. I recognized the embroidered Hylian markings anywhere.

He was an older gentlemen and he glared at me with a twisted frown. His eyes were bugged eyed and mortified as he avoided eye contact with every naked female there. Kili came running out of the room to see what was going on.

"Uh hem hem…" he cleared his throat aggressively as he stared me down. "Are you Link?" I stared at him blankly as he gazed at the sword in my right arm. The symbol in my hand pulsed again. He gazed upon in in wonderment as I struggled to gain composure. He shot me a disgusted look when he saw the state I was in and clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"The princess requests you're arrival at the castle immediately. I suggest you get your things and leave." I said nothing and stared at him with dead eyes. I sheathed the sword back into its casing and it made a sharp shink noise.

I stepped around him, and he glared at me once more as he waved awkwardly goodbye to the women. I grabbed my coat from downstairs and waved adieu to the girls before stepping out. They chatted excitedly and I heard them gossiping.

When the door shut I heard them scurrying about and talking in hushed tones.

"That was really Link." Kili said astounded as she walked down the creaking steps.

"Was he any good?" Lattice asked boredly as she picked at a nail. The girls who weren't working crowded around the door in a huddle, whispering excitedly. Kili tipped her head, wondering if she had been able to see anything through his pants. Her lips parted as if to say something, and then she quickly snapped her jaw back shut.

"I guess I'll never know." Kili sighed.

"Did he even pay you? Was that even him?" Lattice snorted as she closed the black flap that seperated them from the fake front office.

"Aye it was him. I'd recognize that face anywhere. And come to think of it...he didn't. Some hero of Hyrule." Kili shook her head and snuck away back to her bed chambers to await the next customer. Times were tough...for everyone.


	2. The Bonding Mark

**The Bonding Mark**

* * *

><p>The door shut with a clunk behind us as we stepped into the cold night. I stumbled out into the snowy pathway as the warm bite of the alcohol sloshed around inside my stomach. My cheeks flushed as the chilly air bit at my skin. I shivered and pulled the overcoat tighter to my body. The servant man scowled at me reproachfully as he watched me amble through the snow in heavy, moseyed movements.<p>

We walked in silence through the ghostly abandoned streets of Castle Town. The incessant crunch of boots, trudging through snow, was the only noise either of us made. He made no effort to make small talk and neither did I. I felt his eyes upon me the entire time. There was a thick air of discomfort on both our ends. I felt like a disobedient child about to be scolded by his distressed mother, not like I'd know... His gaze irritated me, but the smooth buzz of the kava pushed my anger into the back of my mind, forgotten. The old man's face was twisted in its own form of discomfort. Intense lines and wrinkles shadowed his face as he blew hot breath on his crumpled hands for warmth. I caught his eye for a moment. A feeling of uneasiness brushed over us and we went back to ignoring one another.

By the time we reached the royal estate my hands and toes were numb from the freezing wind and cold. I was also a lot more fucked up that I thought I was going to be. My pupils vibrated in their sockets as I peered at the forgotten castle of Hyrule. I couldn't remember the last time I had entered. Almost a year?

The decorated servant watched me carefully as I trudged up the stairway. My steps felt hefty and loose as my brain struggled to keep up with the lumbering pace I was setting. I laughed out loud once I reached the top. Both the servant and I were relieved that I had made it to the top unscathed. Out of the corner of my eye I caught the gaze of a young Hyrulian guard. He stood erect at his post, his lips turning down as I bumbled into the doorway. The old man bowed respectively as we passed through, I saw the guard tightening his grip on his sword handle.

The doors shut with a loud bang behind us and the whistling of the wind quieted once more. Our footsteps echoed in the seemingly empty corridors. I hummed to myself happily as I walked down the barren hallway. A passing maid carrying a load of clothes stopped and curtsied as we passed. I whistled and the servant slapped the back of my head angrily. In my drunken state, I stared at him blearily. His eyes were furrowed and squinted in anger. I imagined steam pouring out of his nostrils and ears as he puffed heatedly and stormed down the remainder of the hallway.

By the time we reached the castle's tower, I was high and incompetent. The twenty minute walk allowed the full effect of the alcohol and kava to kick in and saturate. Everything was a bit hazy and I felt sluggish and sleepy. My eyelids drooped downwards and felt heavy against their sockets. The servant shot me another disgusting look and rapped loudly on the wooden door. There was a fumble from inside and then the door swung open. I saw the blurred outline of Zelda's body before being whisked inside the room. Despite the buzz, my stomach dropped when she turned to look at me. Her face was contorted in revulsion as I pushed my way through the room and plopped down on the maroon colored couch.

"I found him at that filthy play house. You ought to be sending the guards. Castle Town is no place for smut of their kind." His voice was stern and shaky. He looked at me with utter discontent as I let my shoulders sag into the couch cushions. My head was running circles around itself and I was having trouble concentrating.

"You may leave us." I heard her say curtly to the man who had escorted me here. He shot her a look of sympathy before he bowed and slinked out the doorway. His footsteps thundered quickly down the stairwell before disappearing completely. The fireplace adjacent to me cackled and burned bright orange and yellow. I spit and wiped my mouth carelessly.

"Have you seen yourself?" she hissed haughtily as my head flopped to the side. I stared at the flame and watched it lick the walls of the fire pit. "I had heard rumors but I had thought they were exaggerating. Everything I've heard has been an understatement…" her voice trailed off when she realized that I wasn't paying attention to her rambling. Instead of looking at her, my eyes followed the corners of the room. It was a plain bedroom, especially for a princess. The bed sheets were a plain white color that matched the comforter. The walls were bleak despite a few hand painted pictures and a tapestry of the kingdom's royal symbol. My eyes lingered on the bed for another moment. I hadn't slept in a bed for who knows how long. I felt clouded and hazed. I could hardly keep track of my thoughts let alone her words.

"Did you bring me here just to play mommy?" my voice was low and annoyed. She snapped her jaw tightly shut and clenched her teeth irately.

"The nerve of you!" she fumed. "You think I invite you here just to baby you? You would not be here if we did not have this in common!" With that she yanked off her glove and the triangular symbol glowed faintly in the room in sequence with my own. I rubbed the itching hand nonchalantly and stared at her with a blank face.

"What do you want then?" I stood up quickly, my voice rising in annoyance. I had not been back to visit the royal family in quite some time for a reason. Zelda and I had differences before. Time only magnetized the problems. She looked frightened and stepped back in defense. Her posture stiffened and she sighed heavily as she looked at me with an alarmed expression.

"W-what do I want?" she stammered, her voice softer. "This is not about me. This is about Hyrule and the Three. The good of our people Link! We can't just sit back and ignore this omen."

"Fuck the Three." I said coldly as the embers in the fireplace fizzed and burst. My mind spun once more and I found myself sitting back down.

"How can you even say things like that? Truly what has happened to you?" Total concern laced her voice as she stared at me with prodding eyes. I slunk back into the couch and spread my legs before planting them on the carpeted floor.

"What do you want?" I asked simply. She closed her eyes and shook her head in dismay. Our symbols glowed once again and I felt the strong urge to cut it off with a paring knife.

"Father is dying." She said slowly as she paced around the room in small measured steps. "I-I can't think of anyone else I trust besides you to fetch him a doctor. Hardly anybody in this city has traveled so far. Especially with the bridge being down and all." She paused awkwardly and fiddled with her fingers as she awaited my response.

"So this isn't you asking me to come and be his replacement? And let me guess, I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart once more?" I spat. Who gives a fuck if the king dies? Let him rot for all I care. "Why should I help?" I sneered as I picked dirt from underneath my fingernails.

"Link! Are you not understanding the severity of this situation?" her face sank and her eyes pleaded with me. "I'm asking you as a…as a friend." She stammered with the last words.

I opened my eyes fully to get a good look at her. She had aged considerably since the last time I had seen her. The playful teenage girl was being replaced by a brooding young woman. I felt a quick stab of remorse for the comment I had made to myself about the king. I would never understand the bond a parent and child shared. It was easy to forget that Zelda was only human. She suddenly looked different in the firelight. She didn't look like the strong leader she strived so hard to be every day. She looked frightened and little. Her face was flushed pink in worry and embarrassment as she gazed at me with a puzzled expression.

I looked at her in the eyes for the first time and found myself smiling. We hadn't necessarily left each other on bad terms. What had happened was that we had simply gone our own ways. After Midna disappeared and the kingdom went into recovery mode, we both were drowning in our own private messes. She went the debutant way, I chose the drunken route. I was wrong to think she had been prudent and stuck up before. Compared to the way she is now, she was practically a crazy carefree spirit back in the day. My smile disappeared.

"I will help find your father medical attention. But I will not help you with whatever endeavor this fucking thing takes us to." I didn't have to motion for her to understand what I was talking about. Her mouth opened but before she could speak, I interjected.

"You don't have to listen to that thing either. You can choose to ignore it. A bolt of lightning is not going to come from the sky and strike us dead if we refuse to take action. We are only people. Don't you want to live your own life?" I kicked my legs up on the couch and lay back against the arm.

"Is this how you are choosing to live your life?" she spoke softly.

"That fucking Triforce stole my life." I said dangerously feeling my head starting to grow hot.

"Link…" she said slowly and what was supposed to be comforting. "You know this isn't true. You can't blame the goddesses for the bad things that come to Hyrule." Her voice didn't sound so sure.

"I can blame them for getting me involved. Why me?" I thundered as I sat up quickly. The alcohol sloshed around in my belly and made me feel dizzy. I shook my head and kicked my feet down in an awkward shuffle. "I mean…"I continued to ramble in my drunken stupor, "I go my whole life living in a small town as a fucking rancher. A rancher…mind you. Then one day I wake up and I've got this…imp…on my back."

Zelda sat down on her bed and folded her hands on her lap, listening to me calmly. The night wind howled outside and rattled the window.

"I thought I had been blessed by the Three. At first I cursed and protested against what they had made me. I was angry and confused and I felt alone…Then I find myself being the happiest I had ever been, in this midst of all the fucked up shit that was going on here. I was so happy for everything to be said in done. I had big plans for me. I thought I was going to live out the rest of my days happily." I stopped and wished that I had another drink in my head.

"And why can't you be happy now?" Something in her voice suggested that she already knew what I was talking about. I stared at her coldly before averting my eyes to the floor.

"Because there was no plan for me. The goddesses used me for what they wanted. I was so lonely as a ranch hand for all those years and I didn't even realize it until I found something on that quest. They ripped it away from me. Why show me eternal happiness if it is not meant to be?" I strummed my fingers apprehensively against the wood of the furniture. "Fuck them…" I growled maliciously.

"The goddesses have a plan for you. I am certain of it." Zelda didn't look as convincing as she had intended. Her face was stolid and blank, her thoughts elsewhere.

"What plan do they have for you?" I sneered. "They took your mother when you were born, and now they are taking your father. We are so fucking blessed." My voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Link…please." She pleaded. Her face twisted when I brought up the subject of her mother. Zelda never talked about her, but I knew it was a sore topic for her. "Something tells me that the goddesses have a great plan for us. We just have to be patience and abide by their rule. They will take care of us." She stood up from her bed and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. I jerked away but she still held her cool composure as she observed me thoughtfully.

"They are using us." I said forcefully. "They are just a bunch of dead, greedy, bitches that can't handle their own problems. I'm not working for them anymore. I am not a Hero. This mark on our hands doesn't mean shit. We aren't heroes sent by the goddesses. We are their slaves. I'm not heeding their instruction any longer."

"Don't you see that we are blessed to have this bond? That you and I alone are descendants of the chosen Three? You are starting to sound like Gan-."

"Don't even fucking say it princess. I am not him, and I am not you. We may be bonded but this mark is all we have in common. I don't want this curse. I don't want all the courage of the Triforce. I want to go back to my old life and away from all of this." My tone lowered and I felt my head becoming dense and wilted as it bobbed with my words. I felt the cool touch of Zelda's hands grabbing at my fingers. She eyed me warily as she slowly glided her fingers across the golden symbol on my hand.

"You are foolish to run away from such a gift." She coyly whispered as she continued to gaze at the icon. Her touch brought along a calming demeanor and I felt some of my anger subsided as my head went numb once more. I watched her as she marveled at our markings. Her blue eyes flitted back in forth as her thoughts wandered away from conversation. She was worried, and scared. She released my hand awkwardly as she propped herself back up. She cleared her throat and smoothed out the creases in her dress. I looked at her with an empty face and slowly shook my head no. No hope.

"I will bring your father back a doctor. But after that I am leaving this province. I don't like the looks of it here anymore." I stood up and nearly stumbled when making my way out the door. Zelda didn't fuss or move when I rose, she just kept her gaze on me until I shut the door her eyes bearing into me all the while.

I barely remembered exiting the Castle. My eyes were small snakelike slits rolling around in their sockets like oily marbles as I clambered through hallways and stairwells. The brisk cold night air brought me back to my senses as the wind tussled my hair and made my hazy eyes water. A sickly sensation rose from the pit of my stomach and swelled uncomfortably in the back of my throat. It wasn't the alcohol that was making me feel this way. Zelda's cold stare had managed to burn into my thoughts. It wasn't over between us yet. I shuddered as an icy, unsettling feeling crept its way throughout the entirety of my body as I walked down the snow laden streets. Small white flakes floated down softly from the dark night sky as I trudged through the castle's gates.

The guards from earlier hadn't moved even an inch away from their posts. Without the old man to guide me, their demeanor was alert and attentive. I felt their eyes watching my every step as I quietly fumbled my way out. I scoffed irritatingly as one of the guards raised his pike and pointed it languidly at the small of my back. I resisted the urge to pull out the sword and copy his arrogant manner. Maybe some other night...

The courtyard's stable wasn't far away. It lay just around the main street of Castle Town and down the winding alleyway. The torchlights that illuminated the barren streets of Castle Town, quivered and danced in the wind as the night pressed on. I stared upwards to the sky and grimaced at the star's that shined dimly from above. A wave of indescribable sadness swept over me as I looked at the blackness above. The hollow pit behind my breastbone throbbed and scratched painfully at my thoughts as I tried to suppress my past. Old memories swam about in blurred shapes and colors as my drunken mind struggled to beat them away. A smile here, that unforgettable giggle, the dark piercing eyes that haunted my dreams, they were always there. I shook my head gravely as the ghosts of old memories attacked my consciousness to the point of utter madness.

I dug into my thoughts vigorously as I tried to wipe away my own mind. It was difficult to accept the atrocity that had happened. I couldn't wrap my mind around why it happened or how it could have been prevented. To cope, I only accepted the facts of now. She was only figments of my imagination anymore. She wasn't coming back, she didn't exist at all. She was nothing. She didn't live on inside my head. She only existed when I allowed myself to think about her. Even then she wasn't real, she was a character that I could twist and contort into anything I wanted her to be. Nothing more complex than a memory. I neared towards the stables just as snow was beginning to seep its way into my riding boots.

It was warmer on this side of Castle Town. The large stone walls protected against the rippling gusts of wind and the massive snow drifts. I heard the faint snorts and clops of horses as I approached the stable entries. The wooden gate swung open with ease and the strong smell of horse manure and damp straw wafted towards my noses. The alcohol in my stomach lurched as the strong musky scent penetrated my nostrils. My senses were instantly cleared as I swallowed the lump in my throat dryly.

Epona was exactly where I had left her, her neck craned downwards as she slurped and drank from her trough. Her ears twitched as she heard my footsteps and she whinnied 'hello'. From inside my coat I pulled out the riding gloves and slipped them over my frozen fingers. Epona stomped her front hooves playfully, eager for another romp through Hyrule field.

The ride to Kakariko was as uneventful as planned. I was hoping to get this over as quickly as possible. Epona and I raced through the empty, silent fields in a brown and grey blur. The horizon glistened and sparkled as the light from the moon bounced off the pillowed snow banks. The dark black of the night and the white shine of the ground met at the edge of the earth and contrasted each other spectacularly. The yin and yang of all beings. Mortal life on earth and the unprecedented mystery of the heavens. Two sides of a very different coin. Stupid bullshit if you ask me…

It didn't occur to me until I reached Kakariko that maybe now was an inappropriate time to be calling on the shaman. The moon was leaning to the east skies and glowed brilliant amber yellow. It was nearing the middle night. I shook my head at my own stupidity as Epona's hooves clipped and clopped on the hard ground. In Kakariko, there wasn't nearly as much snow. Most of it had melted and turned to brown sludge that littered shadowed corners. The fresh crisp scent of Eldin's water and the earthy smell of the mountains cleared my senses as I breathed in the clean air with ease. The buzz from the alcohol had past about halfway through the journey. I wished I would have grabbed more before leaving, I felt queasy and heavy as my empty stomach gurgled in displeasure. I needed to start taking better care of myself.

I hopped off Epona and grabbed her by the reins as we neared the entrance of the gorge. The change of scenery brought an unmatched smile to my lips as distant geysers hissed in the distance. The town was quiet, except for the babble of the spring and the faint whistle of the wind that blew through the canyons. I released the mare and allowed her to free roam as I eyed the small hut that was Renado's.

I approached the door tentatively before rapping on the wood with bare knuckles. The sound resounded throughout the gorge and back to my ears in a ghostly whisper. No noise was heard from beyond the door. I rapped again with a harder force and the door jiggled from impact. Still nothing… I sighed heavily and wrapped my fingers around the doorknob before shoving my weight into the door, throwing it open.

The circular room was dark aside from a few melting candles. They burned dimly and cast an ominous yellow glow around the vicinity of the room. They were about a half inch tall, they had been burning for quite some time. The smell of burning sage and a strong tobacco clouded the room in a thick smoke. I coughed as I crossed through the curling wisps of smoke. The smoke dissipated and burrowed itself into my clothing. It rose up in puffs escaping into the cold night through a hole in the middle of the ceiling.

"Renado?" I whispered in a husky groveling tone. "Renado?" I pressed further into the house and strained my ears for any inkling of a sound. "Rena-" I nearly jumped a foot backwards when I felt a tiny tap on my left shoulder.

I spun around quickly to see a stern little girl. She pursed her lips and murmured "Sssshhhh…." Obviously annoyed by my sudden intrusion. I gave her my best apologetic look, it came out as more of a sneer but she didn't seem to be paying me much attention. She grabbed my wrist firmly and with her free hand she pointed at an intricately designed Owl Statue in the west end of the house.

Underneath the Owl Statue sat none other than Renado. His head hung low and his long black hair lay loosely against the small of his back. He sat cross-legged with his palms up to the heavens. His eyes were closed and relaxed in their sockets as he hummed monotonously to himself. His breathing came in steady, even tones that seemed to move the house. He was unfazed by my appearance as he kept his composure still and tranquil. His chest heaved in synchronization with his whispered hums.

"What is he doing?" I spoke softly to Luda. She had released her tiny grip from my wrists and stood beside me with eyes closed and palms up like her father. Her eye crept open slowly in irritation as she shot me a look of disapproval.

"Praying to the goddesses." Her tone was very matter-o-factly. "We are needing them at this time. NOW HUSH!" she put a finger to her lips and then continued to mirror her father's humble stance. Her breathing slowed and became one with her father's as I watched her face and jaw muscles relax. I rolled my eyes as I watched the two of them. I'm not a religious person, but this was their house. I closed my eyes in respect to Renado and felt my breathing becoming one with theirs. Without meaning to, I found myself becoming relaxed.

The breathing of the three of us buzzed and hummed throughout the small circular house as a serene sense of calm swept over. The beauty of meditation.

Just as I was beginning to feel a weight being lifted from my chest, Renado cleared his throat and broke the trance. I reopened my eyes to see him standing up from his kneeling position. He lifted his head towards the skies and muttered a silent prayer from underneath his breath. He drew an unknown symbol in the air with his index finger and thumb as he bowed his head respectfully. Luda snapped out of it herself and looked at me with a wary eye.

"Link…" Renado's voice rolled out strongly and broke the mystical silence like a hard ax. "I have been expecting your company. I dreamed that you would be coming soon." He smiled at me welcomingly as he picked up a tattered looking tea kettle.

"Luda, why don't you run to your room?" his question was more of a demand than a suggestion. Luda grimaced and her dark brown eyes glowered as she begrudgingly left the room. Her footsteps lingered as they trudged down the narrow hallway and then faded completely.

"You've been…expecting me?" I stammered as Renado poured two cups of steaming hot tea. He nodded grimly and handed me the piping hot glass. I took it gratefully and sipped the strong herbal concoction. The liquid warmed the back of my throat and heated my bones. The cold from the outside was slowly dulled out until it disappeared completely.

"Yes I had a dream." Renado's voice was almost playful as he ushered me to take a seat. I obliged happily, letting my weary muscles sink into the weight of the chair as I kicked my feet out and stretched my limbs.

"Were you praying for me to come?" I jested and an uncomfortable silence filled the room. Renado acted like he didn't hear my smartass remark and ignored me tastefully. I sipped at my tea uncomfortably as I waited for him to speak.

"I pray for the lives of the Gorons young Link." Renado retorted calmly as he took a seat next to mine. I placed my tea on the small oak table and looked at him with utmost confusion.

"The Gorons? Why?"

"I sense an evil coming from the Mountains. They are feeling it too. They will no longer make human contact." Renado paused and seemed to muse over his statement. I could see the cogs in his mind turning as he struggled with something to say. He shook his head at an internal thought before turning his attention back on to me.

"That is for another time to discuss, friend." He chuffed as if making a joke and his brow furrowed. "I assume you have a reason for visiting so late in night?" he queried as he stood and walked over towards the open window. A wind blew in from outside and ruffled his long black hair giving him an ominous appearance.

"Aye." I said softly as I watched him move about with an undiluted grace. I was somewhat envious of his calm and collect composure. "The princess is asking for your assistance."

Renado stood frozen upon hearing 'princess'. He spun about slowly and looked at me quizzically. "Zelda is calling for me?" he said skipping the royal formalities. I nodded and gulped down the last few drops of tea before letting it clunk on the table.

"W-when are we expected to leave?" he asked hesitatingly as leaned against the adobe colored walls.

"Tonight if you see fit. It involves the King." I used the last part as bait. I knew Renado had never even come close to meeting a man of the King's stature. He scratched his head and turned to the direction of his daughter's bedroom.

"Will they have room for a child?" Renado asked cautiously.

"She can come. The castle has many rooms. She will be welcomed without question." I assured him."

Renado's face brightened quickly. "Good, then I will fetch my things. I have been meaning to have a word with the princess anyway. Something about the Gorons is attracting my attention. I'm sure it is something to not be ignored. Link. Why don't you try talking with them? They seem to have taken a liking to you. Perhaps you will try and speak with them after the business at the Castle is settled."

"You know I'm always willing to help a friend." I said confidently. It was true I wouldn't mind helping the old shaman, but the sound of an adventure was what was really enticing me. Luda came running out of her bedroom with a bag already packed full of clothing and trinkets to bring to the castle.

"And what is this for?" Renado scolded his daughter. She looked ashamed and lowered her head.

"I was eavesdropping again…"

"Well I'll forgive it this time. I have no time to scold you. Go load up our horse and I'll meet you and Link outside." Renado instructed as he blew out the remaining candles on the window pane.


	3. The King's Decision

**The King's Decision**

* * *

><p>"Do you think he's going to let me in anytime soon…?" I had resorted back into the confines of my room after spending the entire afternoon stalking an unmoving door. Nobody would tell me anything as usual. I was used to the somber sympathetic looks every person who crossed in and out of my father's keep. I felt like a lonely little puppy waiting for their master to come home. I perked up whenever the door whisked open and then hung my head low as soon as it was quickly shut. All I could hear were hushed whispers, the smell of incense, and a few brief images of the bed and the backs of bent over Hylians.<p>

"I don't know dear. I'm sure he'll call on you when he's ready." The voice came from Fira. Although she never said anything, I suspected that she had been given the duty of keeping an eye on me. She sat quietly in the corner as she knitted small wool booties for her newest granddaughter. Her head was bowed down in the utmost concentration as she knitted feverously.

I pulled myself away from the window before catching one final glance at the sun disappearing behind the mountains. The city was dead and quiet as the wind gushed through the deserted streets. It was another unusually cold day for spring. To be outside was to risk frost bite and breathing the air was like swallowing jagged icicles.

"I don't know why he lets him in and not me." Link had returned around midafternoon with a tall native man and his daughter. They had been greeted cordially and then immediately whisked away to my father's quarters. The little girl had been taken to the guest bedrooms and was given books and toys to devote her time to. She had been very well mannered and spoke politely. Despite being timid, the glint in her eye gave away her eagerness to be chauffeured by royal handmaidens and prepared meals by royal chefs.

Fira put down her knitting needles and eyed me disdainfully as she pursed her lips. "Now I'm sure your father has his reasons." She struggled to rise from the rocking chair. It squeaked and creaked as her old bones tried to propel themselves upward. I offered her a helping hand and she stubbornly declined as her arms shook in exertion. "You were hard to keep up with this afternoon." She playfully joked, making light of the situation. She swallowed a deep breath and hobbled upwards. "Knees a little stiff today." She grumbled.

"You may take a break if you'd like." I offered as I watched her feeble body fight with the simple task of getting up and about.

"And let you run wild? No, no, no…" she chuffed as she poured herself a cold drink of water. "I have to make sure you don't get yourself into any trouble."

"It's just not fair." I felt a shrunken feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was nearly nineteen years old and treated like a little girl. If I had been born a boy I would be out scourging the lands of Hyrule and traveling the world. "It's not fair that so much is expected of me when I receive little to no gratitude for my work. Everyone but me is allowed to see him. The town drunk is allowed to see him." I scowled as Fira watched me silently with thoughtful eyes.

"Watch your tongue." Fira chided as she ambled her way back into the rocker. "That man you speak of has done a great deal for Hyrule. He brought your father medical assistance. You should be thankful to have him." Her needles clicked together in an unrequited rhythm. A small scowl was faintly seen in the crevice of her wrinkles.

"He has done great things in the past." I unenthusiastically agreed. "But a man with morals such as his is more than questionable in the presence of the king. I have never met a man that arrogant and self-absorbed in my life. It's positively atrocious the way he carries himself about."

"Aye." Fira considered in mock agreement. "Before you go and start calling that man a self-absorbed bloke, it'd be wise of you to think of his past first. I have heard many a stories of his travels to return the light. Tell me, why would a self-absorbed man risk his life for thousands of strangers?" Fira's tone was rather smug as and the steady rhythm of the needles never faltered as she conversed.

Taken aback by her disagreement I was left with nothing to say. The clicking noise filled the silence and I felt a numbing calm creep over me. I wasn't at ease, I was far from. I had just spent so much of the day in a tizzy that I had exhausted all my energy and could worry no more. Annoyance and an undying worry boiled dangerously underneath my surface and ate away at any happiness I could muster. My eyes ached and felt raw due to the lack of sleep I was getting. There were so many things to worry about. As soon as grasped one thought my mind tittered to another pressing matter and a tornado of emotion whipped violently around in my head until I could think no more.

Even though the sun had long but set, the night was far from over. After the small dispute we made up rather quickly and idly chit chatted about her granddaughter. Fira was upset about her break being put off. She had planned on visiting her daughter and husband but the routes were so snow covered they were hard to see. It was dangerous to venture off into the white abyss without direction of where one is going.

We ate dinner quietly and my mood perked as I gossiped freely with some of the younger maids that ran about the castle. Since my father had grown sick, I had taken on the habit of eating with the lower class help. It eased the loneliness and helped me get my mind off things. I longed for real friends someday, maybe when I had time.

After supper I was called to consult with the council. We were having yet another problem with our financial state. More budget cuts were set to be made by the end of the week. Hyrule's exports were coming to a screeching halt. Our dairy farmers and ranch hands were unfortunately unable to reach the quota. Ranchers were beginning to repel. The castle had since removed the privilege of subsides for farmers. With no crops or money from the royal estate to feed their families, the finger was being pointed angrily in our direction. My head felt dizzy as legal document after legal document was passed into my hands. The fine print and paragraphs all blurred together. All of them problems and all of them hinted at bankruptcy.

Once the meeting had ended it was nearing bedtime. Fira had escorted me from the conference straight to my bedroom and bid me a goodnight. She made me promise to stay out of trouble and complained about her old bones as she murmured and hobbled out of the doorway.

The room was quiet and I poked at the newly lit fire as I watched the logs turn dark black and ashy. I gazed down at my left hand and stared at the strange marking. It had not bothered me all day. I had hoped this was a good sign. Maybe Hyrule wouldn't be in danger if the shaman had truly fixed my father. The longer he stayed in his resting place, the more I realized that I wasn't cut out to be a ruler. There were so many documents, and legal matters to attend to. It was overwhelming. One person could not keep up with all the problems of a nation. I needed guidance.

There was a rap at the door. I uncrossed my legs and put the poker down. I turned the door handle and half expected to see Fira's stout figure in the frame. Instead it was the dark skinned man with the long black hair.

"Oh…" I said, apparently startled. "Please come in." I stammered as I opened the door wider. His statuesque figure remained still and his large thick lips remained unmoving as he stared at me somberly. My gut wrenched as I prepared myself for bad news.

"The King will see you now." His voice was brisk, but comforting. His somber russet eyes gave away no hint of the day's findings. He bowed respectfully as I stared at him with a confused expression.

"Is he going to be alright?"

"That is for him to tell you. If you will excuse me, I must get back to my daughter." I nodded solemnly. He bowed once more before vanishing from the entryway.

I gathered my thoughts, shuffled around awkwardly in my room thinking I needed to grab something, and then walked out empty handed. I didn't run, but I speed walked with as much poise and grace as one could when trying to get somewhere in a hurry. I could hear my heart pounding rapidly in my chest as I scrambled through the nearly empty corridors.

When I reached the door I was surprised to see that the guard's had left and the hall was empty. I swallowed dryly before cracking open the door, trying not to be frantic. I didn't know what I was expecting to see, but I was prepared for the worst. I held my breath as the image of the room flooded into sight. I focused on everything else first. There wasn't a swarm of people around my father, it didn't smell like death, the run was clean and smelled like fresh pine and herbal teas. It wasn't dark and gloomy, but rather cheery looking and illuminated with the bright orange glow from various lanterns. A large fire cackled in the fireplace and roared with immense intensity. Then there was dad.

The bed he had been in for so many days now remained empty and newly made with fresh sheets. The room almost appeared as it had been left unused for weeks. It was abnormally tidy, with floors so clean you could eat off of them. The only thing that looked out of place was the large portly body of my father sitting in an overly plush arm chair. Even though three of me could have filled the seat with room to spare, he looked squeezed and massive in comparison.

My father didn't budge an inch as I shut the door silently behind me. I felt ashamed, like I was little and about to get a scolding. I proceeded forward with caution. He caught my gaze and he looked chipper despite the heavy situation.

"Your majesty." I curtsied respectfully, a habit from years of uttering the phrase. He stroked his beard and nodded humbly. If there had been any sign of my father's illness, it was his beard. It was longer and more unruly than usual and peppered with whites and grays. If my imagination was not playing tricks on me, the white streaks were more prevalent than before.

"You needn't the formalities." His voice was meant to be soft but came out loud and abrasive as he eyed me commendably. "We are long past that." He was surprisingly jovial as he motioned for me to come closer. "Sit, sit!" he urged. My heart was beating so loud I was surprised it didn't burst out of my chest. I sat on the bed, feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. I was at a loss for words. I didn't know where to start.

"How are you feeling?" I spoke as one might speak to a frightened animal. They came out languidly and emotionless, however, my face gave away my worried discomfort.

"Ah…." He grumbled roughly and waved a massive hand through the air, as if wiping away an imaginary problem. "Healthy as I'll ever be." He growled heartily as he chuckled at some sort of internal joke. His belly rocked up and down as he laughed freely at himself.

"Did they give you anything for your pain." The knot in my stomach grew and contorted as a plethora of emotions whisked throughout my body. I felt oddly queasy and out of place.

"Real men do not feel pain Zelda. The shaman did his duty well." He paused and took a deep breath. "His services please me. Be sure and thank that blonde fellow who brought him. He looked oddly familiar."

"Link?" I said in an almost disgusted matter. My brow furrowed and I found myself biting my lip.

"Was that Link?" the king's eyes widened as he mulled the thought over. "He looks mighty different than the last I saw him running about her."

"Hmmm…" I mused softly as I fixated my eyes on a hand stitched embroidered tapestry on the wall. The cloth depicted a picture of the Three Goddesses. The fiery blood red of Din caught my eye. I shivered in spite of the sweltering temperature in the room.

"Peculiar indeed." My father continued. To my surprise, he lifted himself out of the chair with such ease and gusto. I had not expected such mobility from a man who had been bedridden for weeks. He began to pace the room like an animal trapped in a cage for too long.

"I have not called you here to talk about my health. There is something very serious I want to discuss with you. In my time here, I have considered this idea many a time and I think I know the right thing to do." He spoke with such a calm grace that I found myself entranced in his words. I nodded grimly and eyed him like a cat would eye a mouse.

"Now, I know that you are blossoming into a young woman. The sickness brought much realization with it. I now understand things I was not able to see before. One really starts to appreciate life after looking into the eyes of death." He paused and seemed to consider an unknown thought.

"I spent many hours worrying about my wellbeing and what was to come of me. I spent many hours brooding over you as well. You are a very smart girl, just like your mother, but you are far from ready to run a kingdom." The King cleared his throat and let his words sink in.

"I don't understand father?" My voice was cold and emotionless. I had expected some kind of release, or weight to be lifted off of me when I came here. Instead the gnawing hole in my stomach only worsened. I picked at a loose string on the comforter. It uncoiled and ripped the seam. My father didn't notice when I threw the thread on the ground.

"What I am getting at Zelda, is…" he paused to collect his thoughts. "Well I guess what I am saying is that you are to be wed." His voice rang throughout the room in an ethereal manner and time seemed to stop.

"Father…I haven't even began courtship yet." I was smarted to sound calm and poised but instead I felt childish.

"There is no need for courtship." He said vigorously, cutting me off. "I have already made the proper preparations."

"You have chosen a suitor for me! When was I going to be informed? When were you plan-" his booming voice stopped my prying and a look of malevolence spread across the king's face.

"You will let me speak!" he thundered in annoyance. I felt like I was shrinking, crumbling into myself. "I have already made the proper preparations." He repeated, making sure that I had his full attention before continuing. "I am telling you now aren't I?"

"I have spoken with my dear friend Adravan. He has a son. He is a handsome lad and has the chivalry of a true gentleman. They are not royalty but they have certainly proved their allegiance to Hyrule and have made a respectable living."

"But father I-"Just as the first word slipped out of my mouth the king had already raised his finger, urging me to be silent. He scowled and paused another moment before starting back up.

"I will not be here to protect you forever. It is important that I see you in good hands before my time here is gone. The Dranavir's are very respected and have riches beyond your wildest imagination. They are hardworking people and I would trust Adravan with my life. The hardships of Hyrule are becoming all too real and are getting out of hand. It is our duty to protect and serve our people. We must put our own selfishness and dignity aside and ask for help in our time of need. The people need it." A long silence filled the air and I couldn't bring myself to speak. A fire burned deep in the pit of my stomach and I resisted the urge to be sick. My already drowning mind seemed to explode and spill over as the new information leaked its way into my mind.

"Is this new man going to be the King?" Keeping my voice level was the least I could do. I was teeming in an uncontrollable fashion as my hands trembled. A shock was sent up my arm. I looked down to see the Triforce light up before the glow disappeared.

"When I die, yes this man will be king. He will not be unprepared. I have invited Adravan and his family to join us in this time of need. Adravan and I will see to it that the boy is learned and prepared. I would not leave you without that gift." The King caught sight of me sulking and his expression turned livid.

"Do not act like a child Zelda." He said crossly as he took a step or two towards me. "Now is not the time to be greedy. You should know this."

"I am not being greedy father." I spat uncontrollably. "I just do not see why you are allowing some strange man to run our country."

"This is why you are still a foolish little girl. You speak as if we are entitled to this position. I earned the title of king. I was not born into it. This country is ours only if we can take care of her needs."

"Do not call me a fool!" My temper flared instantaneously and I was nearly blind with fury. I was not a foolish girl. This was my life he was talking about. I would be serving underneath this unknown man for the rest of my life if we did get married. I would bear his children, and follow his orders long after my father was gone.

The King tightened his lips defiantly and pulled at stroked his beard zealously. "I have already arranged for the Dranavirs to arrive before dusk of next week. It will be done with or without your consensus. It would be wise of you to have an open mind about this matter." The angry tone had disappeared and the stolid iron clad voice of the king returned.

"Please father, give some thought to an alternative solution." I pleaded mercilessly as felt an indescribable wave of helplessness wash over me.

"Go back to your room now. That's an order."


	4. The Sacred Temple

**The Sacred Temple**

* * *

><p>I was going on day two of being sober. Out of respect to the shaman and the king I had avoided the alluring song of the alcohol. Instead I filled it with the crawling pace of Renado's modulated voice as I listened with half-moon eyes and a clustered mind. We spoke very little of anything as we trekked across the frozen tundra to reach Castle Town. Luda chatted freely and complained frequently as the night hours turned to day. The menacing howl of the wind had slowed and a small glimmer of sunshine could be seen peeking reticently over the gray clouds.<p>

We reached the castle gates a little after daybreak. Imperial guards rushed to our side immediately upon arrival. Before my boot had even touched the snow protected earth, a stable boy quickly grabbed the reins of Epona before taking her to the stable courtyards. Renado's luggage was carried away by a throng of maidens, along with his daughter. The tense irritable aura of the guards had disappeared, only to be replaced by a frightening sense of urgency, and the gut wrenching hollow of an unknown disaster. The usual formalities were made in an abrasive, hurried manner as we moved from room to room in upbeat bounds of speed.

The maids filled our grumbling bellies and tittered around like little birds as they watched us anxiously as we ate our food. Renado looked very at ease as he followed orders instinctively and matched the hurried quick steps of the faculty with an immeasurable amount of poise and refinement. I had entered the castle with a half-clear mind and an odd sense of sanguinity. As the day's events pressed on, the morose, languid feeling came crawling back and settled itself deep within the depths of my mind. The thrilling high of a potential adventure was crushed by the talk of politics and medical procedures. Even though I had been appointed to be Renado's official guide, it was he who was escorting me around all afternoon. I felt more like he's intern than his mentor after waves upon waves of people swarmed about us like ravenous wolves, hungry for information.

Renado spoke for me and put up with my pessimistic, blasé mood for the entirety of the day. It wasn't until we had reached the king's quarters that I decided it was best for me to leave, my welcome had run dry. I had originally intended on staying longer. After almost a day's worth of riding I had managed to build a façade of danger and wonder around the situation at hand. I was anxious to see the king, hear his words of reassurance and astuteness. I found myself fantasizing of the moment when we would enter the king's quarters. I expected to see some sort of divine oddity of epic proportions waiting for me in the den.

Instead, I found myself feeling rapidly nauseous when we walked down the long serpent like hallway to the king's room. It felt as if a vice was being pulled tightly against my abdomen. My chest was tight and felt pinched together. My lungs struggled to take in the simplest of breaths and I had nearly toppled over. Renado's orderly, prim behavior quickly disappeared as he hurriedly clutched my tumbling body as I swayed dangerously close to hitting the floor. I dismissed myself hastily before a fuss could be made. The king's door was open slightly ajar. I caught a glimpse of a black ashen corpse hand before turning abruptly.

In a panicked stupor, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, out the door. I passed through the halls clutching my chest tightly as I gasped for air. The black, deathly knot in my stomach remained and didn't release me from its grip until I had reached outside. The brisk air ate away at the gnawing pit in my stomach as I breathed in cleanly as my lungs relished the open oxygen. Then, as if it had appeared out of thin air, an idea came to me. I had to go to the Sacred Temple.

.

..

…

….

In the middle of a snow white field, there stood the gray stone building of Hyrule's most beloved temple. The shrine stood about twenty men tall and the walls were thicker than three bulbos smashed from side to side. The tomb was primarily rectangular with high arched windows and a tall slanted roof that curved up towards the heavens. The symbol of the Triforce was embedded into the stone with deep hollow etchings that had slowly lost their sharpness from the trials of time. Bits of debris and small pieces of rubble had fallen from the once perfectly shaped boulders and onto the freezing ground below. Cracks and hairline crevices gave the building an ominous abandoned feel to it. I gulped dryly and second guessed my decision to come here.

Epona's ears twitched nervously as I slowly slid down from her backside. Her hooves stamped the snow tetchily as I made my dismount. My boots hit the snow with a defiant crunch. I patted my mare gingerly and made soft whispering noises under my breath. Her usual unperturbed stature had disappeared. She felt rigid underneath my touch and snorted haughtily when I tried to soothe her. Wisps of arid smoke rose from her nostrils and dissipated into the winter air. I squinted my eyes and peered in at the temple entrance. It was shrouded in a veil of black shadow, untouched by sunlight. The wind whistled freely in and out the entrance as it created a portentous sort of wail.

As much as I wanted to turn around, something was beckoning me into that entrance. The same clutching feeling from before bubbled forebodingly deep from within. My muscles tensed in apprehension as a ghostly shiver ebbed down my spine. The nauseating feeling lurched with such a force I nearly keeled over. My knees locked and buckled beneath the weight of my torso as I felt a hard squeeze engulfing my inner organs. My eyes shut tightly closed as little black spots danced in front of my pupils. A searing white pain shot through my forehead as I clutched my throbbing head in agony.

Epona snorted furiously as she cast a wary glance towards my direction. She did not run away from me, but she did not hesitate to keep her distance. I saw her four long legged limbs backing away from my huddled body. Her eyes looked wild as she gazed at me with the intensity of struck lightening. I grabbed at my stomach as the knot twisted, flipped, and folded over the contents of my innards. Just as the pain was starting to become unbearable, it subsided. A soft shimmering glow from the birthmark on my hand pulsed lightly, feeling like nothing more than a tickle compared to the previous encounter.

I blinked twice and slowly slid my arms out from around my stomach. I took a clean breath as I glanced around in amazement as to what had just happened. The temple still stood coldly in the snow. The ominous building's shadow engulfed around me and I heard the wind whispering my name.

Link…

Liiiii—nnnnnkkk…..

Come here

Little wolf…

I won't bite

In a trance, I felt my legs growing stronger as I propelled myself up once more. I saw myself dusting loose snow from my shoulders and knees but could not remember feeling the motion. I wanted to look back at Epona, to see her wild stare, but I couldn't turn my head around. I was walking towards the temple's entrance. A howl of wind blasted my face and blistered my skin, but yet I was taking off my riding gloves.

I watched with a nonplussed expression as I saw myself removing the thick leather gloves. The first one fell into the ground and submerged into the snowfall. I saw myself flexing the free, pale, bare fingers of my hand as my strides continued to grow in length. I couldn't look back at the glove despite the strong desire to retrieve my belonging. Instead I watched as the other glove came off just as easily. It fell in the snow along with its partner and was quickly lost in the drift.

The Triforce lit up instantaneously as an electrical surge pulsed through my veins. My blood felt warm and charged with a strong sense of stability and invincibleness. The heavy soles of my tattered riding boots hit the cobblestone in sharp measured clunks. The temple was empty and poorly lit. A long wooden torch blazed dimly in the distance. I blinked at it, and then blindly made my way towards the light.

I felt panicked, yet very serene. I couldn't panic; I was frozen by some sort of odd soothing entity. My mind raced, yet felt numb as I watched myself from a third person view from above. I saw myself grabbing the torch from its metal hanging. The rod felt stiff and coarse between my fingertips as I sturdily grabbed it by its hilt. The fire danced from above and cast odd demon shadows on the adjoining wall. I didn't look back, only at the blackness that lay ahead.

My footsteps synchronized with the fast pounding drum of my heart. My eyes were wide and felt strained as the ghostly out of body wonder continued to make its path down the temple. I wasn't scared, I wasn't questioning what I was doing, and I couldn't make myself stop. The pull continued to gravitate me towards the end of the dark looming path.

Come here…

A hissing voice, similar to the sound of trickling water resounded off the walls that enclosed me and attacked at every angle. The noise rang through my ears and vibrated through my skull. I smiled as the voice hissed again and felt a wave of pleasure wash over me as the thing called my name.

Link…

There it was. There was the Triforce. A metal holster jutted out from the grimy stone wall and I cautiously placed the scorching torch in the empty space as my eyes fixated upon the golden deity that was swallowing up the room. It wasn't golden anymore. Instead, it was as black as night.

The golden triangles were dimmed and covered in a smoke like bubble of noxious gas. Black smug rolled and fumigated around the triangle's edges and rolled upwards towards the temple's ceiling. The levitating symbol bobbed up and down in a sluggishly slow stride as it turned in torsion and twisted ever so slowly in a clockwise motion. The black smog rose to the ceiling and colored the walls in an pasty, ash like grime that looked to be about a half an inch thick.

My arm pulsed in an eager like fashion as the muscles in my arm flicked and twitched as my veins coursed with the demon like euphoria. The Triforce was glowing with a fierce, blinding white light as its thin edges pulsed and palpitated against my skin. It wasn't just the Triforce of Courage glowing this time, it was the whole triangle. Wisdom, courage, and power. A deep red glow burned and scorched the skin on my hand as the Triforce of power surged angrily beneath the membrane.

…

….

…..

My ears twitched involuntarily as the hissing noise resounded throughout the barren hallway. I heard a giggle that sounded so painfully familiar that it nearly snapped me out of my dazed like state. I only knew one person who had that impish, coy, laugh. Why was I hearing it now? I was going crazy. My eyes burned with the intensity of hot coals as I tried to take my eyes away from the Triforce and focus them down the blackened hallway. I wanted to scream her name. I felt her here. Where was she?

Instead I saw my hand pulling forwards. The Triforce was so bright and intense that it was impossible to look at. It blinded the eyes and hurt to look at. My fingers twitched anxiously as I felt the cold icy feeling of the black smog twisting its way around my fingers. It grabbed onto my index finger and I felt it trickling down to my knuckles. It hurt, and stung like a poisonous insect as it crept its way down to the bottom of my palm. The sensation felt like ice cubes and smoldering coals as it latched on to two more of my fingers. I watched with a blank stare. Something inside of me screamed to get away but all I could do was watch.

The smog rolled and shot out like a swarm of gnats as it finished covering the entirety of my hand. My palm was as black as soot and looked corpse like in the iridescent burn of the torch light. It was beginning to hurt. It felt like tiny needles were poking at the nerves inside my hand and infecting the tiny pores that made up my hand. The Triforce burned with a robust power that nearly brought a tear to my eye. I bit my lip furiously as I watched the smoke linger around the edges of the golden deity. There was an eerie pause of uninterrupted silence as a black succubus like tentacle awakened from the smog and crawled towards my arm. The tentacle poked upwards and swayed back in forth as if it were looking at me. It crept away and crouched backwards as if it were ready to pounce. I wanted to run, but why couldn't I? It was going for the Triforce. Where was my sword? There was a sharp grab at my shoulder and I felt an unknown source dragging me back away from the chaos.

"What are you doing?" A voice hissed in the background.

I gasped as the trickling black soot recoiled violently and blew away in a scattered whirlwind of ash. It took me a moment or two for me to regain my senses. My pupils dilated as pixilated dots blurred and centered back into focus. I stared at my palm languidly as I watched in a dream like trance as the last of the blackness drifted away into dark. After the darkness retreated it was then that I started to regain my memory. I breathed in deeply, thankful that the blackness had not taken over me and glared at the now completely harmless triangular deity. The Triforce had stopped oozing the thick tentacle like smoke and resumed the slow rotisserie like spin like it had always done before. The black smog continued to rise up but in now smaller puffs that billowed into clouds that rose and disappeared into the ceiling. The soot was no longer aggravated and I felt a chilling silence engulf itself in its place. Had I been dreaming?

I rubbed the formerly agitated skin on my palm and forearm. The skin felt cool to the touch but left no other evidence of being previously maimed. I sighed and the bravado of my voice carried through the empty chamber and echoed back to my lonely ears, except, I wasn't alone.

My head felt frazzled and the imagery of what had just happened was a bit hazy. It felt as if someone had taken an eraser to my forehead and nearly wiped clean my memory. After inspecting that everything on me was intact and functioning, I was able to remember that I had heard a voice in this seemingly deserted temple. I placed a trembling hand on the hilt of the Master Sword as I slowly pivoted and turned to face whatever was behind me.

"Link?" an anonymous voice rose from beyond the clouded room. I nearly jumped out of my skin. The sword immediately became unscathed as I pulled it menacingly and raised the blade stiffly at the ready. I growled deeply from the back of my throat as my mind struggled to comprehend where I was and what was going on. I spun around and bellowed with anger; specks of spit flew past my lips as I huffed loudly like a rabid animal. The faint drop of a pebble rolling across the cobblestone was all it took for me to lunge into the darkness. My breathing heaved and collapsed on itself when I saw the pale ghostly figure of Rusl standing a few feet away. His face was frozen in an unfathomable expression of terror. His jaw stood slightly agape and sharp beads of sweat trickled down his brow line despite the bitter cold of outside.

The sight of another Hylian did not ease my mind. Our eyes locked and the stone pallid expression of Rusl remained unchanged. My breathing was still rough and I had the Master Sword raised high above my ahead still ready to strike. Rusl stared at me with a bittering coldness and an indescribable shame swept over me when I realized that he had been watching me. What did he see exactly?

I hesitantly lowered the sword despite the aching instinct to arm myself. I still didn't feel safe in the temple and Rusl's presence was more unnerving then it was welcoming. However, had he not been here, what would have happened to me? Rusl's stone grey eyes watched my every movement meticulously as we stared at one another in the silence. I hadn't realized that Rusl had been arming himself as well. In his right hand, Rusl was carrying one of his prized swords loosely by the hilt.

"What are you doing in here?" My voice trembled with rage as I jumped backwards at the sight of Rusl's sword. "Are you trying to fucking kill me!" I roared as I swung the blade around in a haphazardly pattern as I stared at Rusl with burning eyes. Rusl shook his head in slow measured pulls before releasing the item in his right hand. The sword faltered and then clambered to the ground. The sharp noise of metal hitting stone caused me to wince before being devoured into another bought of eerie silence. Rusl watched his weapon fall to the ground with brooding eyes, and then with no warning, he fell to the ground too.

Quickly leaving my anger behind, I sheathed my weapon once more and quickly scrambled to get Rusl off the ground. I attempted to pull him back up, but with a brunt force he shoved me aside. His body felt rigid and ever y muscle in his body was tensed. I picked up his sword warily just in case. I had just been attacked and somewhat possessed by soot, I wasn't going to take my chances in here. It was then that I heard whimpering. At first I thought that I was hearing voices again, but then realized that it was Rusl who was making the wailing noises. Feeling incredibly awkward I nudged Rusl with the toe of my boot in hopes that he would stop.

Rusl jerked and quickly wiped the stray tears that stained his flushed cheeks with the back of his hand. His dirt covered fingers trembled as he motioned for his sword back. I didn't oblige but instead stood frozen while I watched his huddled body rise into his usual standing position. "Why was your sword out?" A burst of black smog wafted out of the Triforce's center and snaked its way around me before dissipating into the ceiling. I took a wary step away from the deity while trying to keep both of my eyes locked on Rusl.

"I heard a woman screaming." Rusl spoke so low that I could barely hear him, even with the fact that we were standing in a deserted stone building. He kept his head bowed low to the ground and shook his foot nervously as he seemed to struggle with some sort of internal thought.

"You heard it too?" my face brightened instantly and I felt a genuine smile beginning to play off my lips for the first time in nearly a year. "You mean it's not just me?" I queried eagerly as I childlike state of euphoria washed over me. Rusl stopped his shaking and met my gaze with tired eyes.

"W-what did you hear?" he stammered as he gripped me tightly by the shoulder blades. I could feel the hard calloused fingertips pressing deeply past the fabric of my clothing and grabbing my skin as Rusl pushed all his weight into me.

"I heard her too Rusl. She's here! She's really here. We have to go help her. I think she's in trouble. She needs us! Rusl we have to help her. I knew she was going to come back. I'm not crazy…" I mumbled off. "You heard her too."

Rusl stared at me with the emotional capacity of a statue. His fingers retracted and he awkwardly placed his hands back to his sides. "Link…she is dead." He said slowly as his eyes caught gaze of the demonic stature of the Triforce. The deity hovered and bobbed slightly as it continued to twist and turn in its final resting place. I huffed in disbelief and shoved Rusl's sword back into his hands. Rusl only stared at his weapon with discontent as he lowered it back into the scabbard.

"I don't understand. You said you heard her screaming. She was laughing Rusl, she said my name but not even a few minutes ago. I know she is here. We both heard her. How do you know she's dead?" I began to pace in an uneven matter as the hard soles of my boots resounded throughout the chamber. I could feel the repressed feelings of anger and regret bubbling deep within the pit of my stomach as my anxiety began to grow. Too many thoughts were rushing through my head. Had I been too late to save her? Is she here, alive, now? How does Rusl know her?

"I saw her die Link. I thought I was going mad when I heard her voice coming from this temple. I have not come to pay my respects to the goddesses in quite some time." Rusl's eyes stared at a dark patch on the wall. A small ghoma skittered into a small hole, returning to its web. "I recognized Epona outside and I knew you were in here. I was surprised that you were in such a place. That's when I heard the voice. I knew it couldn't have been here. I haven't heard her voice in years…I grabbed the sword because I thought there was going to be trouble." Rusl gasped and placed a withered hand on his chest as a stray tear fell down his face. "I see now that it is only evil." He spat as his eyes locked onto the blackened Triforce.

"Rusl…What do you mean you saw her die? How do you know of her?" My mind began to race once more as I thought of Midna. Was she using me? How did she know Rusl? Who else knew about our connection? Who in Hyrule even knew that she existed? I thought it had just been me and Zelda, Rusl was proving to me that I was mistakenly wrong.

Rusl sighed heavily and refused to meet my gaze. "I suppose you were going to ask this question someday. I am surprised that it has taken you this long to be truthful." Rusl scratched the back of his neck as he gritted his teeth in a tight scowl. He shifted about awkwardly and I could see only imagine the gears churning about in his head as he struggled to come up with an answer.

"How do you know about Midna? Where is she?" I demanded as a surge of anger pulsated deep within with the intensity of molten lava. Rusl stopped scratching and caught my gaze. His lips were pulled tight but I could tell that he was suppressing a smirk.

"I'm afraid we are speaking of two different women." He said slowly, his voice rose in tenor and he began to sound more like his stoic self. His eyes flicked back to the smog and then darted back to my own eyes. "That thing," he gestured at the blackness and scowled in disgust, "is not something the likes of you and I are able to comprehend. We best be going before anything else happens that we won't be able to control."

"I heard her Rusl!" I roared angrily as I stamped my foot into the ground. The firelight in the back wavered and flickered as a gust of wind blew through the temple entrance. "She's here…" my voice tapered off as I looked at the blackness that surrounded me on all four sides. It was all dark, maybe she wasn't here. These were not the type of shadows I wished to be seeing.

"I saw you Link." Rusl grumbled defiantly as a knowing look glinted in his eyes. "Whatever you are chasing is not here. Had not I have showed up, where would you be right now? Hmmm? Don't let the darkness swallow you. There is still light in you, I sense it." Rusl grabbed the only lit torch in the room and turned away from me and towards the exit. Not wanting to be alone in the dark with the smog I followed suit.

"How the fuck would you know…" I sneered rhetorically as I quickened my pace in order to keep up.

Rusl chuffed and a small smile appeared through his gruff features. Nearing the light of the day I could see that Rusl was not in his peak condition either. He hadn't shaven in a few days and was sporting a massive attack of five o'clock shadow. "You and I aren't so different." He said assertively as the first rays of light began to come into view. "I advise you not to go back in there. Something is wrong with that Triforce. It shows us our desires Link. We are lucky to have not been ensnared by the demon's trap. That is not the work of the goddesses in there. Whatever that thing is, it is not our friend anymore."

"Rusl what did you hear?" I asked. The snow trodden valley of Hyrule field was in view. I smiled as the familiar scenery replaced the dark innards of the temple's chamber. Epona was still where I left her, nibbling on small patches of grass like nothing had happened. That's the funny thing about the world, is that it keeps going even when you stop. Rusl placed the torch back onto the metal hanging of the wall and didn't look back into the temple upon doing so.

"A long lost love." Rusl whispered quietly as stepped out onto the snow. He shook his head sadly at an unknown memory and then peered up to the sky. He kissed his fingertips and then blew the kiss upwards to the glowing orange sun before bowing his head respectfully. He called for his steed and straddled the stallion with the ease and grace of a nobleman. I had always wondered why Rusl did not join the royal knights of Hyrule.

"Are you coming?" he nudged in a playful voice as he nodded his head towards the direction of Castle Town. I shook my head in slow agreement as I took on last look at the temple. I heard the laugh again…Come home to me please.


	5. Warm Reunions

**Warm Reunions**

* * *

><p>After departing from the temple the rest of the day's events seemed normal and almost boring in comparison. The sunshine calmed our shaken nerves as we trudged through the snow in a prim and orderly fashion. Rusl kept the lead while I trailed languidly several yards behind him. The laughter from the blackened temple only left a sour taste on the back of my mind. I felt bitter as my stomach growled with a boiling temper. Rusl looked no more at ease.<p>

"What are you plans for the evening?" Rusl pulled his reins back with a jerk and tightened his boots around the waist of his horse. The nibbling mare snorted in agitation as she pulled away from the sparse frozen bush that had been buried under the months of snow. With another quick pull she was on her way and splashing through melted snow once more.

"No plan. I hunger." I spoke blatantly as I eyed Rusl carefully. "Need to stop at home. Take a rest, this snow blind is starting to give me a headache." Although a majority of the snow had begun to melt there was still enough to render me sightless. After wandering about in the temple of doom the outside felt like a sparkling nirvana of lights and colors.

"That's not from your drinking?" Rusl coyly retorted. I saw his fingers grip around his reins as his eyes remained glued to the expanding horizon. Even though he didn't give me the courtesy of looking at me, I saw the impish gleam in his eyes.

"No….Not from drinking." I spit aggressively as I took a pause to retort. "What are your plans for the evening? Helping the wife with the baby, maybe you have to help cook dinner. Something respectable I presume." I chuckled as Rusl remained stone faced and frigid. In the sunlight his grey hairs stood out more predominantly and his wrinkles seemed more hardened and sagged.

"I have a meeting with the Resistance." Rusl spoke with an air of refinement as he mentioned his group. His head stood a little taller, his back a little bit straighter. "Then yes, I will be going home to my wife. It's nice that she is actually at home with me. I don't have to drink myself into a dark corner as I imagine my wife and try to remember what she looks like." A slight smirk pulled across his unshaven face as his eyes glinted in dark humor.

"Oh how they will honor you when you die." I snapped as a boiling hate began to seethe out of my pores. "Here lies Rusl the housewife. Loved by some, honored by none." The words danced off my tongue beautifully in a natural rhythm. It was as if I had been waiting to say these things for years but could only now voice them. Rusl's face contorted in blind anger and his body tensed like an angered alley cat with its hairs on end.

"Like anyone will mourn you when you die. Even your parents left you." Rusl seemed to froth out his mouth. His voice was dark and full of hate and malicious underlining. His brow hardened and he looked almost unrecognizable. It was something I had never seen from him.

I let loose the reins and reached hurriedly for my quiver. I flung the bow over my shoulder as I reached for the arrow with my free hand. By the time I had the arrow ready to shoot Rusl was already drawing back and aiming straight at my heart.

"Don't be stupid boy." Rusl growled as the growing tensions seemed to permeate around us in thick smog. "Remember who taught you."

The air was dry and still as both of us continued to stare daggers at one another. Neither of us were archers, but I wasn't about to test my skill against Rusl's. I breathed heavily as puffs of hot air shot from my mouth and into the cold. The bow felt flimsy and awkward in my hands as I began to wonder what exactly I was doing. My arm began to shake against the bow and I reluctantly dropped my arm.

"Fuck you." I spat in bitter defeat. "Your Resistance is bullshit anymore. This is about the most action you get. You managed to point an arrow at the town drunk. You will be considered a hero in Hyrule's eyes."

Rusl dropped his arm and his eyes began to fade from their blackened casing. He stared at me with confusion and a sense of awe as he looked down to his bow."I apologize for my words." Rusl solemnly put his arrow back into the quiver and lowered his weapon. "I've been feeling a little ill since the temple." He paused and seemed to reconsider. "But do not insult me and my family."

I only chortled and gazed onward. I would not be making any apologizes in the near future and that was for sure. A moment passed and the chance of holding any conversation dwindled into the tense silence. The tension only washed away as the miles stretched onwards and the sun began to shift towards the western mountains. We rolled past the Faron Woods and were nearing the heart of Hyrule's field. It took but only the simple miracle of a blooming common weed to strike up our conversation again.

"It's about time this winter has gotten over, eh?" Rusl sounded like his usual light hearted self once more and the gentle calm in his eyes were back.

"Hmmm…." I tittered. I was still angry over his comment from earlier. It was going to take a little more than talking about the weather to fix this one. Rusl and I had always been close. It wasn't until recently that the gap had begun to grow and fester. As Rusl began to delve more into the life of his family and ever since I had experienced the most epic adventure of a lifetime, things were a bit rocky.

Rusl may have not outright say it, but I knew he was jealous of my endeavors. It was a bit flattering that he was envious. I know that he is envious. This part does not please me. Rusl thinks if he had been giving the chance to save all of Hyrule he could have done it better, faster, more efficiently. He thinks because he taught me how to spar, he knows all there is to know about the land. If I could get the chance for glory, why couldn't he? There is no glory in the shame you feel for the lives that were lost. I was chosen to be the savior because I had nothing to lose.

Ganon had nothing to lose, neither does Zelda. We are all similar in the sense that we are social outcasts. Ganon may have had his followings, his right-hand men and faithful minions. No one truly cared for him, he had no family. No one was there to grieve his death except those who mourned the loss of their chance for victory and greed.

Zelda's father never raised her and she never had a mother to care for her either. Zelda was born and raised in the castle where she was blocked away from society and kept a secret to the public. Who can say who Zelda is? That girl is beyond miserable. She is trapped within a warped mind of incomprehensible fallacies and complex royal code.

I am self-explanatory.

"Link?" Rusl shouted from a few yards ahead. I hadn't even noticed that I had lost pace with him. I nodded sluggishly as Epona rushed forwards. "Did you hear what I said?" he smiled over pleasantly as he tried to cover up the slight annoyance that edged around his voice.

"Sorry. Distracted." I mumbled as I felt the faint glow of the Triforce burning beneath my riding glove.

"It's not safe to be distracted in these times…" Rusl scratched at the nape of his neck and cleared his throat. "I was merely inviting you to come to tonight's meeting. The gossip stone is advising me that something important may be happening in Castle Town very soon."

I acknowledged him with a slight nod of the head but remained nonplussed by his open words. Epona whisked her tail angrily at the approaching newborn gnats that were threatening to tear at her hide. It was beginning to look like spring after all.

"Even though we had our little quarrel your opinion is always valued in this town." Rusl gulped tightly as he attempted to breach eye contact. "Our meetings are still at Thelma's Bar and I know she'll be happy to see you."

"It's not Thelma I am worried about. It's the others." I slowed down Epona's trot as I pulled a two day old cigarette from my pocket. I was beginning to get lazy they weren't nearly as good when they were stale.

"I'm sure Ashei has forgotten all about last year's incident." Rusl pulled out his own pipe and loaded in the dank herb without disrupting the path of his horse. The smell of rough earthy tobacco filled the air as both of us slowed to a turtle's pace as we enjoyed the afternoon's smoke. Within the cigarette was another hidden strain that was much needed for the remainder of the trip back.

"Ashei is not necessarily the one that I am worried about either. Shad was angrier about it than she ever was." I took a deep inhale and suppressed the urge to cough as hot smoke pushed up against my lungs and infiltrated my bloodstream in a welcoming white cloud. My eyes began to sink and my body felt hot and toasty in the 30 degree weather.

"They have grown as a couple. Shad has since lost most of his jealousy issues." I could tell Rusl was uncomfortable with this kind of conversation. Rusl could talk all day about killing moblins and yanking limbs from boklobins as it were as simply as plucking a chicken. When it came to people and personal relationships, Rusl was never privy to explaining other's emotional status or one to gossip.

"Everybody has somebody." I grumbled as I took two quick drags from the smoking cigarette. The cherry glowered red and sizzled its way back into my body as a deeper wave of relaxation began to calm my fingers and toes.

"Speaking of that, I've been hearing that the princess had finally found a suitor." Rusl mused as puffed and blew small smoke rings from his pipe.

"And why are you interested?" I forgot my anger as it was overcome with a teeming anxiousness to know why Rusl cared about this. This was much more than just a gossip floating around town.

"Apparently this suitor has lots of money. A good friend of King Daphnes IV so has been rumored. This is what the resistance is meeting on tonight. Shad has been working alongside one of Hyrule's accountants. In his internship he has come to discover that our dear kingdom is nearing the end of its golden era. In other words, the kingdom is running out of money. The man that Zelda has been arranged to marry just so happens to be the son of Adravan Dranavir."

"Dranavir?" I flicked the cigarette into the snow and bit my lip in slight apprehension. "Have I heard of this name before?"

"If you are interested in the lives of the rich and powerful than most likely yes." Rusl ashed the burnt tobacco and placed his pipe snuggly into his front pocket. "Adravan Dranavir is one of the richest men in all of Hyrule."

"So Zelda marries this man and in return for him being king, he finances our entire province. What is the meeting for then? I just told you what's going on." I smirked for my own amusement as Rusl ignored my incompetence.

"Yes this is obvious." He said in a know-it-all asshole tone. "What we are concerned about is how he acquired this money. The Dranavirs were not always royalty you see. Solomon Dranavir, Robert's father, was a world renowned thief not even a century ago. He was a thief and a cheat well into his older years and he raised his son Adravan to be the same way. It wasn't until after he was arrested that the Dranavirs changed their ways. They were penniless when Solomon was arrested. Five years after his return from jail they own half of Kandrova."

"What about King Kasius? Is he not stopping these criminals from owning his country?" A dull sense of dread began to form in the pit of my stomach as Rusl continued to talk. Something about this wasn't right. I thought of Zelda and wondered if she knew any of this information.

"They bought King Kasius too. The Resistance and I think that he is helping them launder money in return for a small exchange of the profit."

"What about King Daphnes? Isn't he suspicious?" My fingers thrummed against the reins excitedly without my realization. What? Do I get a hard on when I hear about evil-doings?

"Him and Adravan go way back. They fought in the war together. King Daphnes thinks very highly of him." Rusl paused and smiled meticulously. "You know Link, all of this will be explained at the meeting tonight. I'll have a pitcher waiting for us. I think both of our nerves deserve a little bit of soothing after today's activities." Rusl stretched and cracked his back tried not to look as if he were eagerly waiting for my reply.

"Well…I don't know. I wouldn't want to be getting another headache tomorrow from all this drinking I've been doing. I might want to take it easy." I said emotionlessly as I tried to suppress a smile. Rusl's face instantly sunk as he tried to spit out an apology.

"Hey I'm real sorry about- that wasn't. I felt weird after the…"

"Have a drink waiting for me. I'll be there." I shouted, ignoring his apology, as I spurred Epona off into a gallop.

Rusl and I had arrived back into town much later than originally intended. The sky was filled with dark hues of blues and purples as streaks of oranges and light pinks lined the yawning horizon. It was late afternoon but there was already an undeniable sense of urgency to return to town before dark. It was Twilight once more, something I seem to take notice of often. I watch the sky change every day and wonder why I am not allowed to change with it.

The slow pace of the afternoon quickly turned into the high speed tempo of the night. Our horse's hooves pounded thunderously through the damp ground as cold wind whipped through our lungs in delighted tendrils. Despite our trivial dispute the afternoon had faired pretty well. I found an odd sense of peace romping through the fields with Rusl. For a second it was almost easy to forget where I was and the past long behind me. Rusl and I chatted happily about old times and traded tricks as we laughed and boasted ourselves up. It wasn't until I began to see the silhouette of the town that the dark membrane of my mind became noticeable once more. Even though Rusl didn't say it I knew that he too felt anger. His tone may have been chipper but the sullen eyes and twitching fingers gave him away.

As hard as I tried I couldn't get the sound of her voice away from me. Her reminding presence had left a sour taste in my mouth and it made it hard to enjoy the other senses. She was hard to deny, even given the distance. I felt strangely violated after hearing her impish giggle. I had gone so many months without hearing it. I've heard it in my mind many times but I fear that it has become distorted. Even now I wonder if it had only been my own mind I had heard in the temple. Her voice could have been my imagination. Rusl hadn't heard her at all. He heard his own echoes of his ghostly past. And that was exactly what Rusl looked like, like he had seen a ghost.

Reaching the gate a sort of boyish buoyancy cut through us as we scrambled through. A small throng of people were still lingering about in the market from their previously sunny day. Their pale skins shined in the silvery moonlights as their frail bodies ambled down the dusty streets. The town was louder than usual; a ghostlike mumble of tired voices and aching souls reverberated off the stone walls. The hum of the city had a funeral like quietness along with the same somber atmosphere. The meeting had begun a little earlier than expected and there was no time to stop home and take a breather. Rusl and I arrived with windblown hair and chilled red faces as we ambled into the underground bar.

We were greeted in a dead state of silence. Four stolid faces and the uncaring glance of the cat sleeping by fire gazed our way as we stepped into the room. Rusl stepped down to meet his brothers and Auru smiled meekly to him as he passed by. Thelma had begun to busy herself behind the bar as she scrubbed furiously at the already cleaned mugs. Ashei stood up immediately upon our entrance and looked wild eyed and frigid. Our eyes caught and before she had time to even look disgusted, her gaze had already been fixated elsewhere. She awkwardly took a seat back down but her edgy complexion stayed the same.

I glanced at every face carefully before stepping down. Although it had only been a short year since I had seen them all, they were almost unrecognizable. Auru was finally beginning to look his age. His salt and pepper hair seemed to be thinning along with his skin. I noticed dark spots by his forehead and the wrinkles near his brow were now deeply carved. Shad had lost his boyish face. His soft features were now hardened. His blonde hair was now cut shorter, his glasses removed, and a stone like façade seemed to have taken place over his usual skittish demeanor. He stared at me with some sort of a bitter remorse and I could tell that his teeth were clenched. His rock like jaw was pulled back in agitation and I could see his fist curling their way into the wooden table. I smiled at him and then watched his face turn bright red in anger.

"Hiya honey." It was Thelma who broke the silence. Her voice sounded like crackling coals and her throat was so parched I was amazed that smoke wasn't shooting from her mouth. Her tits seemed to have finally caved in on themselves and looked like heavy medallions hanging from her neck. She smiled at me and I was surprised that she still had enough glow to pull me in. I cast one last glance at the four seated at the table before avoiding their down trodden leers.

My boots seemed to clomp obnoxiously with every step and I felt eight pairs of eyes digging into my back as I walked. I sat down with an obstinate thump and I pulled off my gauntlets in a jittering movement. Thelma smiled shyly as she leaned in closer to where I was seated.

"Don't let them get to you. I'll get you a drink." She whispered. "On the house." I could only smile and nod as I tried to shake off the watchful eyes. I wasn't embarrassed, nor did I feel any sort of need to atone for my actions to the table behind me. I wasn't trying to repress any long lost feelings, but instead trying to fight off the new anger that was beginning to bubble from the brooding eyes.

Thelma's thick hips rotated and disappeared behind the counter as she went to grab a glass. I turned again and saw that Rusl was watching me carefully. His thin lips were pressed tightly together and his hands wrung about in obvious displeasure. Auru was whispering something into his ear. When the old man saw I had been looking, his gaze turned cold and his mouth grew silent.

Thelma slid an amber filled mug across the table and into my waiting hand. I felt my hands shake as I grabbed the golden liquid and felt it slide down my throat. Still feeling watched I resisted the urge to drink more and instead I put the glass back onto the table. I watched the small beads of condensation run down the thick glass as the quiet hum seemed to grow louder.

It only took a few seconds for everything to burst into gaudy disorder.

"And just exactly why did you bring him here?" I could feel Ashei's hostility even given the distance between us. I had been anticipating this moment ever since Rusl had invited me earlier. I was a bit taken aback by how seen she was to jump the horse. The scraping noise of a chair sliding against wood sounded behind me. Auru mumbled something inaudible and I heard Ashei's fingers tapping against the table. I wasn't ready to give her the courtesy of turning around.

"No I will not just sit down." Ashei's voice was lined in frustration. "It's about time somebody should say something." There was more scuffling behind. Thelma grimaced and put down her rags. Her large bosom sank into the counter in defeat. Even though she looked exasperated it was easy to see that she had been expecting this moment as well. I smiled as I stared at the empty glasses and upside down mugs that lined the polished oak bar. A mirror lined the inner wall of the bar and I smiled hungrily at my reflection. I had missed Ashei.

I drank the remainder of what was left and pivoted around in my bar stool to face her. I had been right in guessing was her who had risen from the table. Her onyx eyes blared into me with a million different accusations. I relaxed into the bar stool and folded my arms childishly letting her know that I was ready to play.

"I think it's best if you sit down." Rusl tried to coax Ashei back into her seat but failed miserably. She batted his arm away in annoyance and flashed her teeth.

"Stop sticking up for him!" She thundered. "Why am I the only person who can't stand him?" Ashei was beginning to sound desperate. Her chest heaved in an animal like fury and her hands shook uncontrollably.

"What's the matter? Does my presence disturb you?" I flirted. "I was invited here by yours truly." Rusl seemed to shrink down in his seat when I pointed at him.

"Your presence is sickening." She spat.

"You invited him to our meeting?" It was now Shad's turn to rise from the table. His voice was much gruffer than the last time we spoke. It was almost intimidating...almost.

"He can still help us." Rusl's voice nearly disappeared between all the ruckus. "He's highly trained and he knows a great deal more about this land than we ever will."

"Your "orphan" son is a lost cause. What can a whore loving sadist drunk bring to the table?"

"Sit down Ashei." Auru spoke calmly with his head in his hands. "This is unprofessional, now is not the time for petty differences."

"Rusl should have thought about being professional before he brought this thing into our meeting." Ashei hissed. Auru put his hands back on the table and shook his head in disappointment.

"Honey this is my place. I let you have your meetings here. I will not watch you kick this boy around that like in my bar." Ashei could only nod and agree with Thelma. I smiled devilishly as I basked in the glory of feeling untouchable.

"You miss me." I sneered. "It's okay, I'm back now. You don't have to be without me anymore.

"You fucking incompetent git!"

"Leave her alone Link." Shad threatened.

"Are you afriad she's going to put her boobs in my hand again Shad?" I laughed as I pretended to squeeze a pair of imaginary tits. Shad grunted like a wild boar and then tore his sword from its sheath and pointed the blade towards my chest.

"You are a rapist." Ashei blurted out, she seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"I saw you with him last year. Don't blame him because you're a soulless whore." Shad bellowed as he turned his sword towards her direction. Ashei gasped in fear while the other members stared in shock and awe. The air was sickeningly tense as time seemed to creep by in melted minutes. "You let him touch. You were like all his other tarts." The blade shook as Shad gripped the helm with a shaking hand. Ashei backed away as her lip trembled in fear. Her fingers gripped around the edge of her chair in a vain escape.

"ENOUGH!" Auru's voice shattered through the commotion and left the room speechless. In the silence, I started to chuckle to myself like a mad man.

"Put that sword away or I'll chop it off your arm." Auru said this in the politest way possible. Shad spun his head around furiously and gave one last defiant grunt. He sucked in a deep breath and lowered his hand. He looked ashamed when he sheathed his weapon.

"Auru is right. This is a business meeting. Let's treat it like one." Rusl cleared his throat scooted his chair forwards. His hands were trembling as he fumbled to open the map that was lying on the table. He peeled the pages back carefully and I saw a glimpse of red traced alongside the tattered pages.

"Then rid of this man." Ashei breathed one last futile attempt as she teemed from atop her chair. Her eyes looked scared and battered. It was easy to imagine puffs of smoke stemming from her ears and nostrils.

"Who are you to judge this man's shortcomings?" Rusl spat back. His nerves were beginning to short-circuit. He put the map flat on the table and pointed a finger towards the already badgered girl. Auru began to open his mouth in protest but Rusl interjected. "Let me finish." His mustache twitched as his eyes scanned the room for attention.

"Look at us. I can understand some of your anger towards this man." (All eyes turned to me without having to mention any names). "It's easy to blame all of our shortcomings on him, but that doesn't make it right. We are all equally guilty of unlatching ourselves from reality."

"But-" Ashei started.

"Ashei do you even recognize yourself?" Rusl's paused for a response but she only stared at him with hateful eyes. "I don't. You are bitter and full of self-loathing." Shad snickered from behind them and made a poor attempt to hide his pleasure.

Rusl turned around without skipping a beat. "And you. Barely recognizable. You traded your brains for bronze. I hope your new muscles bring you enlightenment. You've always been terrible with a sword." Rusl smiled as Shad clamped his mouth shut. Rusl was clearly happy about his heartfelt speech. He stood tall at the round table as if expecting praise from his peers.

"And you Rusl have been drinking more and I have gotten older and less spry. Let's continue this damn meeting and not forget why we are here." Auru pulled out his pipe and loaded it to the brim with tobacco. "Sit down Link. In-between Rusl and I." Auru pulled back the empty seat and gestured for me to join in.

I slowly rose from the bar stool and took the few looming steps towards the table. Ashei and Shad remained silent but their eyes were on fire with unsaid words.

I sat down and Rusl nodded at me reassuringly. I rolled my eyes and tried to catch Auru's attention. He stared ahead as smoke shimmied from his pipe and went up into the ceiling in wispy gray plumes.

"Alright kids. Let's talk about those missing Gerudos."


	6. Night Animals

**Chapter 9**

Night Animals

* * *

><p>I had never been more ready for bed in my entire life.<p>

The day had started off with the eerie hauntings of last year's past, followed by an explosive reunion with the old pals, and concluded with a long and unsatisfying meeting that left me thirsting for home.

When Rusl had promised me a drink, he had meant one drink. During the course of three hours I was given but one tepid pitcher to share with the others and some stale bar nuts to snack on. While I had been expecting a more festive swash buckling kind of affair, I was only given a slow ho-hum meeting with little excitement. I found myself yawning often, only to be given dirty looks from Ashei and chiding scowls from Rusl. The evening remained calm after the initial blow up, but the tension was still so thick it was nearly suffocating.

Auru was the meeting's ring leader as usual. His slow, monotonous voice lulled me to sleep at least once or twice throughout the session. Rusl would quip in every once in a while with a quick sentence here or nod of agreement there. He reminded me of a parrot perched upon Auru's shoulder. Rusl only mimicked what Auru had already emphasized but in more or less words. The others and I humored him, but I found the desperate push for leadership a little pathetic at times.

I was not talked to, but rather talked at as if they were afraid to let me respond. Rusl had tried fruitlessly to include me into the banter but I only watched from afar as I sank further and further back into my chair. No one seemed to care that I wasn't joining in on the conversation. In fact they seemed pleased, the others even avoided eye contact with me while they addressed the rest of the group.

Ashei remained as tough as iron for the rest of the night. Her tightly pulled buns and razor straight bangs gave her the appearance of a snow warrior. She talked with a confident air and made a point to ignore me for the remainder of our encounter. Shad had been almost as quiet as I had been. He only spoke if he was addressed and his replies were short and terse. My presence had obviously disturbed him.

Despite all the trivial drama and underling angst, I was able to step out of the bar as a happy man. I whistled for Epona and her hooves seemed to echo down the empty street ways like an unseen ghost. She neighed pleasantly and I rubbed her nuzzle softly with my fingertips. Epona was one of the only things I truly cared about anymore. I hoisted myself up onto her flat back and hooked my feet into the stirrups. With a small kick we were on our way back home.

It was only natural that I felt happy at that very moment. I had been through every other emotion during the course of the day. There wasn't any more room for a negative thought or bad feeling. It was near impossible to be angry with the beautiful night laid out in front of me. I always loved the part of the day when I was alone.

The stars were exceptionally bright that evening. As I trotted out of the walls of Castle Town, the night only seemed to become more vibrant and alive. The sky was a deep shade of royal blue that seemed to cradle the world into a sound slumber. Ink black clouds lined the tops of the mountains and seemed to engulf them into a world that was miles away. I always wondered what could be lingering beyond the clouds. There always seemed to be something more up there than the old forgotten ruins. Of course, if someone would have told me that there was a world that existed in Twilight, I would have deemed them a madman...

Did Twilight exist?

Epona crunched through the melted snow and partially frozen grass in slow weighted strides. Small dews of icicles broke upon impact and left behind a clear crystalline path of slick grass. I let the reins hang loosely in my hands as I breathed in the rich smell of cold ground and pushed up dirt. A gentle breeze whipped through and the cold was just enough to make me shiver. Epona veered to the right automatically as her instincts followed the ghosts of our previous footsteps home. Looking up at the moon I was surprised to see the bulbous yellow orb gleaming down at me from hundreds of miles away. The first full moon Hyrule had seen in four months.

I smiled and felt a small wave of euphoria trickle over my body. Feeling a little adventurous, I tilted my head backwards and let out a long yipping howl. In that moment I forgot about everything that had happened earlier today. It was only me against nature, with my horse by my side. Epona's ears twitched in what I read as annoyance as I let my head roll back down into my shoulders.

Without any warning, Epona stopped and turned her head to the side, looking past me and across the field.

In the dark abyss of the night I heard an echo of a noise. The faint hollow sound of a beast crying out to wind. In the same fashion that I had just done. My body seemed to freeze just like the posture of my horse. We both sat patiently as we waited for an unknown silence to pass. I would have thought myself a mad man if Epona had not heard it as well. There were no wolves in Hyrule. Perhaps it was just a person like me. A lone rider like myself who had given themselves away to nature.

Or maybe I was going insane.

Whatever the noise had been, it was time to leave. Without having to utter a word, Epona charged through the field like a bolt of lighting. My thighs squeezed around her sides in a desperate attempt for leverage as she thrashed and bucked from underneath me. I struggled to regain control of the reins as a quarter ton of fear stricken meat and muscle jostled beneath my hips. My boots dug into her taupe colored sides as she flared her teeth as she gnashed them into her bridle.

"Easy girl. EASY!" I bellowed as the world seemed to blur into dark shades of blues, soft greens, and shimmering whites. My organs rattled from within as each escalating stride thundered towards the ground. I started to care less about gaining control and more concerned with staying saddled.

Through Hyrule field and now blazing through the catastrophic maze of the Faron Woods. Trees zipped by in grey blurs as branches scratched my arms and dug into my legs. The freightened mare showed no signs of slowing down as we whizzed through the shallow dirt pathways and ripped through strings of thin cobwebs.

There was no doubt in my mind that she could have made it all the way home without stopping. The only thing that slowed her down was crossing the bridge into Ordon. I was only then able to gain some control. She slowed down to a creeping pace as I regained my grip on her reins.

Epona came to a skittering halt once the bridge came into view. The pathway was dark and the wind made eerie whispers from within the open gorge. She paced herself across the rickety bridge as her hooves echoed down into the murky crater beneath us. Even though I had redeemed my stature, I still felt some resistance between me and my mare.

We clopped in an almost mystical like stillness as we eagerly awaited home. We passed Ordona Spring without bothering to stop for water as we continued down the small trail to the village.

Home seemed obsolete. But even if it felt strange there was still a bed waiting in the upstairs loft. Feeling weary and run down, I dismounted the tense mare with quivering appendages and a delicate mind. Before I could remove the saddle she was already headed towards the stable behind the house.

Curiously, I followed her into the barn. Epona stepped over the clay colored soil and hay covered floor with slow lugubrious steps. Her long neck craned downwards as she guiltily crept towards her pen. Without a second glance towards me or even bothering to drink from her through, Epona folded up her legs and laid parallel to the ground.

I scratched my head in confusion as she stared with blank eyes at the ground. I whistled towards her and she couldn't be bothered to even twitch an ear. I glanced around the stable for something I could move her with. There wasn't much to pick from. Stale yellowed hay littered the ground, a half full bag of oats sat doubled over in the corner. A rusty pitchfork sat in the corner next to a pair of hanging horseshoes. The smell of wheat and the slight odor of horse excrement lingered in the air, but besides Epona squatting on the ground, everything seemed normal.

I bent over to scratch her between the ears but she pulled her head away defiantly to the left, avoiding my reach.

"Suit yourself." I mumbled, not bothering to remove her saddle. I'd return in the morning when we were both feeling better. With a final glance towards my mount I waved and exited the stable. I didn't have time or the energy to play detective. This would have to wait until morning. Things would be better after we both got a good night's sleep.

The thought of slipping underneath a heavy knitted quilt and resting my head on a cool feather pillow was the only thing that was keeping my limbs moving. I was going to remove my boots; I could feel the leather being pulled away from my calf. My crushed toes wiggled anxiously between the pressed soles. I should still have enough logs to start a fire. I could hear the crackle of the fire pit lulling me to sleep already. I was going to climb into bed, shut my eyes, and forget about-

"Master Link?"

"Fuck!" My already hazy eyes grew as large as saucers. I barely caught my balance in time to prevent me from falling straight into a small snow drift. I pursed my eyes together to see a faint visible outline in the otherwise darkness.

The faint silhouette of a pole shaped body was barely comprehensible with only the light of the stairs. I wouldn't have known the figure was a woman if she had not just spoken. She stepped back timidly as I rubbed my already aching eyes in annoyance. Who was this?

"M-master Link?" She whispered. The smell of oil and a flowery stench hit my nose as the girl inched closer. There was a quick *_plumpf_* and a small fire appeared in the small lantern she held in her palm. In the firelight, the girl's features became more distinguished in the ember red glow. She was petite, with mousey like features. Her nose curved upwards into a small pointed tip and she seemed her mouth seemed centered and small above a soft shaped chin. She nervously tittered back in forth as she watched me cautiously from the corners of her eyes.

Her eyes were the color of bluebells and flaxen colored hair shielded a majority of her face. She flinched when I stretched my arms and skittered a couple inches away.

"Yes. That's me." I growled and rolled my eyes. My voice seemed to beat the poor girl into a shock. She stared at me with wide eyes and her lip trembled from probably from both cold and intimidation. "What have you come to my house for?"

"I didn't mean to surprise you by being here. I had the intended to keep the light on but you took so long to return I didn't want it to burn out." She blurted nonsensical words as her expression burst with emotion and various facial expressions. She was a young girl, no older than 15 or 16, dressed in peasant attire. She wore a long gangling dress that was the color of a burlap sack, the hem was tattered and worn and her stockings were off color and holey.

"Who sent you?" I demanded. I didn't have time for charity or to help commoners with any problems. I was slightly offended that she had shown up out of the blue like this. Especially at this time of night.

"Zelda has sent me." She bowed and seemed to gain back some of her poise. She raised herself clumsily and cusped her hands eagerly on her stomach as she waited for my answer.

"You do not look like a servant of the royal House." I chortled as I motioned at her outfit. She furrowed her brow and her thin lips folded into a pout. She smoothed out the many creases in her coat and dress as bits of dust and loose fibers fell from her ensemble.

"You are right I'm not." She squeaked. "I'm only a maid. Zelda doesn't want anyone to know that you are coming."

"So she sent you here?" I interjected.

"She sent me here to keep watch while the two of you spoke." The girl stammered and motioned out into the darkness. "Zelda is right here."

There from the shadows she appeared like a mysterious phantom. With long graceful sweeps she moved next to the common maid and bowed gracefully. Her head was shrouded underneath a dark amethyst cloak that covered the entirety of her body. Only her small angled chin and a pair of pale pink lips could be seen. Her eyes were bent towards the ground as she cautiously maneuvered her way into view.

"I should have known you would be coming soon. It's been nearly a week since you last asked for my help." The maid looked horrified as the words came out of my mouth.

"Is this really the hero?" she whispered to Zelda. Her eyes flicked from my top to bottom as she picked at the new image she was seeing. Zelda didn't budge an inch but only smiled from beneath her veil.

"It's not safe to talk here." She spoke softly. "Perhaps we could continue this conversation in your home.

"I suppose." I said coldly as I grabbed the lantern from the peasant's hands. She gasped but let go of the object without any struggle. Feeling rather irritated I stomped towards the house in something that could described in a temper like fashion. Zelda and the maiden followed quickly as we walked through the darkness.

I jostled the keys from my pocket and stuck them into the front lock. The key creaked as it opened and the door jiggled open after using some force. It had been awhile since I had stopped home. Dust fell from the ceiling as the door shut from behind us. The three of us cluttered into the center of the living area as the floorboards cracked and the wind whistled through the cracks in the window.

"Make yourself at home. I'm afraid there's not much to offer but I can get a fire started." I mumbled as I scrambled in the darkness looking for the stack of logs that should be pressed against the wall. I set the lantern down on a small wooden stool as I grabbed a few old pieces of dry firewood. Dirt and small bug homes fell of the logs as I clanked them into the fire pit.

Zelda sat very still perched atop of the lone bar stool I had sitting in the corner. Her servant stood beside her looking nervous and continuously peaking her head out the window. "This is almost hospitable of you Link." Zelda said with a bemused look on her face. She rolled of her winter gloves and placed them neatly atop her lap. "I'm afraid that I had to come on such short notice." Zelda cleared her throat and then with careful fingers, she unveiled the hood from her face.

I grabbed a few small twigs and with the fire from the lantern I was able to start a decent start for a fire. The logs began to crackle and hiss as a welcoming heat and smell of smoke began to roam throughout the house. I rolled over and dusted off soot and grime from my tunic as Zelda watched me with a slight smirk. Her bright blue eyes gazed longingly towards the fire and I could tell that something was truly bothering her.

"I've learned to expect nothing else from you." I dropped the attitude and leaned towards a friendly tone. Zelda seemed to take notice because she smiled slightly while she let her eyes droop into a more human like expression. Her poise seemed to lose its shape and her eyes gave away to the emotions that she always held deep within. "What is it this time?" I sucked in a deep breath and took a seat on the grey armchair that sat in the corner. The cushions were lumpy and it had lost most of its comfort, but it was still one of the most relaxing moments I had gotten all day.

"I want you to help me escape." She almost shouted. Her voice was fearful and anxious. I laughed.

"You've got to be kidding me. Your father will behead me." I cusped my palms together and began subconsciously wringing them together. A nervous sickly feeling began to creep over me. This was very unlike her.

"My father is dying. He's delusional. I think his sickness is making him mad." Zelda pleaded. Her face was full of anger and pain. It was easy to see that she had been holding a lot in lately. The servant girl patted Zelda on the shoulder reassuringly but the gesture wasn't appreciated.

"Zelda I can't help you." I said feeling suddenly sick. Even what little alcohol I did drink seemed to rattle and shake inside my stomach. "This is asking too much. I have nowhere to take you."

"He is marrying me off to a madman!" she shouted. Even though she was breaking she remained her still cat like posture atop the stool. Her hands were folded gently on her lap but you could see that she was struggling not to shake. The mousey looking girl seemed to cower back. She knew that this was not the type of information that was supposed to be relayed to a common girl.

"I've heard of the Dranavirs yes." I said calmly. "Which is all the more reason why I will not help you. I am not taking away a man's princess. They will find me. What do you think they will do after that?" Hmmm?" I demanded.

Zelda looked disgusted. She bit her lip and her lips trembled. "You are supposed to be the symbol of Courage!" She struggled with her emotions and breathed in deeply before speaking again. With a much calmer tone she said "I am begging for your help."

"You are supposed to be the symbol of wisdom. Your father has a plan for you. If you need to be saved I'm sure someone will be sure to do it." I paused struggling with new words to say. "I just can't help you right now."

"I heard you howling." She said defiantly. "You said you got rid of it." She spoke almost dangerously. Her eyes seemed to darken, it was a side of Zelda I hadn't seen before.

"I did get rid of it!" I barked. "Get the fuck out of my house I'm not helping!" I growled as I shot an accusing finger towards the door. The servant screamed and flinched against the wall.

"Get out or I'll tell the king you were trying to kidnap his daughter." The common girl seemed to ponder the consequences of this accusation and her eyes filled began to brim with fresh tears. "You know what will happen to her." I breathed heavily as hot anger began to well up from deep within. My nerves were getting to me. I was too tired. I needed to get some sleep.

Zelda looked at me with murderous eyes. She cast a scornful gaze that seemed to penetrate straight through me and beyond. Her nostrils flared with anger as she remained as still as the dead. With one swift move she pulled the hood back over her face. Even with half her face covered, it was easy to tell she was still seething. She grabbed the servant girl's arm and briskly opened the door.

"Goodnight to you Master Link."

"I'll be at the wedding!" I chirped happily before laughing at my own narcissism.

The door slammed.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thanks for for reading! Don't forget to review :)<strong>_


	7. A Princess Stands Alone

**Chapter 10**

A Princess Stands Alone

* * *

><p>It had been a restless night. For hours I tossed and turned in bed as eerie shadows and daunting nightmares flooded my mind. It was a bittersweet feeling returning back home. How sad it was that I had returned, yet even sadder that I had wanted to leave. I was so sure that Link would be eager to help, even with his flaring temper. It was hard to read him anymore. He was not the shy, honest, and caring Ordonian that I once knew. What I see in that boy now terrifies me.<p>

He had never lied to me before, but after visiting his home last evening I now had my suspicions and yet even more to worry about. While Link had been ranting and skittering around his living room like a mad man, I had been making observations.

The entire inside of his house was blanketed with a thin film of dust. In the shadowed corners hung hammocks of silvery gohma webs, constructed in meticulous patterns that had gone untouched for more than a few months. On the floor there was an unmistakable hint of musk and mouse droppings. The air was stagnant and smelled old and rustic. Cupboards empty, fireplace unkempt, a bone chilling feel of emptiness...Link didn't live in his home anymore, which also meant he wasn't sleeping there at night.

Before Matia, the servant girl, and I had arrived in Ordon we were traveling silently through the loping hills of Hyrule Field. We had been chatting idly, trying to pass time as we crossed the southeast creek towards Faron Woods. We had been completely alone in the pitch black covering over the field. The only light we had was the faint flicker of the stars and the orbital glow of a full moon. Suddenly, both of our horses had stopped. In mid-laugh, Matia seemed to freeze and grow silent. I felt the old mare twitch and tense from between my thighs.

There was a yipping howl, west of where we stood. Within a valley so deep and spacious it was hard to tell if the sound had been mere yards away or simply an echo that had been traveling for miles. Either way, there hadn't been any time to prepare the next thought.

Before I was able to ask Matia if she had heard the noise, another braying howl ripped through the silence, this one closer, much louder. A long monotonous song that sounded elegant and terrifying all at once. Whatever was making this noise was bigger, more powerful than the previous creature. In comparison, the other howling noise sounded like a furry little lapdog that could easily be eaten by the snarling jaws of this other beast.

Matia had turned a ghostly shade of white as her knuckles clenched for her reins. I kept my composure for both of our sakes and pulled my hood away from my eyes as I tried to scan for any sign of the monstrous creature.

Scanning the darkness I struggled to make shapes out of the dark blurry lines and whispering shadows. It was terribly hard to see through the maze of trees and distorted lines but I knew what I had seen wasn't a trick.

There had been a silvery blur of movement, running through the trees at full speed. It was large and lanky and the pads of its feet thundered through the half frozen tundra with ease. I heard it's jagged breath cavorting in between the trees and could feel the energy as it ran pumping past us. The creature paid us no mind as it strode with ease through blackness. It was gone as soon as quickly as it had come. The last few murmurs of the creature's playful panting vanished among the foliage.

I had stood there startled and feeling a little out of breath. The horses seemed to titter with a certain uneasiness as they shuffled anxiously beneath our thighs. A few seconds passed when there was another noise emerging from the trees.

The crackling of dead leaves and snapping twigs sounded of restlessly in the dark. Matia began to whimper and shake as we waited blindly for something to come. The rustling continued on for a few seconds until the unknown figure's footsteps began to grow farther and farther away. The noise had come from where the beastly figure had last emerged. I wondered if this person was nearly as frightened as we were. But then I had a thought.

"Link!" I shouted. The footsteps stopped and I could only imagine the person or shape had stopped to greet me.

"Link!" I bellowed out anxiously as I urged the stubborn mare to move forward. With no sign of the beast around, the steed reluctantly began to trudge forward in lengthy lugubrious steps.

There was a brash crackle of the leaves and rapid movement someplace to my right. Whatever was making the noise had to of been no more than a few feet away. Thinking swiftly I had grabbed the kerosene lantern and ignited the flame as fast as my half frozen fingers would permit. I fumbled for a moment as my fingers shook with anticipation but I was able to steady myself within a few short seconds.

"Aha! I knew it!" I gasped. Light ebbed through and lit only the faintest of areas. In the corner of my eye I thought I saw the slightest silhouette of a man. His back was turned from me, but from behind I could see that he was tall and lean. I heard the crunching of leaves as his legs propelled themselves away from the dim light of the lantern. I jumped, startled by the sudden figure. Shakily I clambered off my steed as I struggled to untangle my foot from the stir-ups. I threw the lantern up defensively as my eyes preened into the dark. The trees seemed to shake with laughter as I twirled about, looking for a shape. Nothing was to be seen. All shapes seemed to blend together in a sort of morbid gothic painting. The cluster of trees seemed to absorb into one another as shadows turned into demonic markings and distorted faces of laughing men. It was as if whoever or whatever it was had just disappeared into thin air. I had to get to his house as quickly as possible.

He had been out of breath when we arrived, and sweating profusely. I couldn't help but think that he had rushed here. Perhaps he knew we were coming. Perhaps he had seen me earlier.

Whatever the case was, it was fishy. I knew something was out of place. Something was bothering him. He was so extremely agitated lately and his temper was no more controllable than a box of burning fireworks. He was lying about something. My heart could feel it.

I had been focusing all of my attention on Link that night. I didn't know what he was hiding from me but knowing the answer wasn't necessarily the release I was looking for. No, what I was looking for was a friend back. I felt very alone as I sat there in my bedroom looking out the open window. Just like every like every other night, the golden triangle pulsed with its ethereal glow. Even though I knew his was doing the same, I no longer felt connected.

I always felt different as a child. The day Link first arrived in Castle Town I could immediately feel a bond. It was something that I had never felt before in my entire life. I had grown up very isolated as a child. I wasn't allowed to play with other children or associate myself with life outside of our castle. I was the apple of my father's eye. He saw me as his golden child, his blessed deity. I knew he didn't want to share me with the public, let alone our staff. I was given one hand maiden as a child. This woman was like a second mother to me. I only spoke to her and occasionally when my father wasn't busy or out on business he would take a few minute to check up on me and see what I had learned.

I was to be smart, and talented. My maid taught me everything. She taught me how to read and write, to sing and dance. We spent countless hours at the piano, playing the harp, and teaching me how to read music. The only time we went outside was to observe the wildlife and to learn about different plants and their uses. We did everything together. It was her job to look after me. She did very well at it and I believe she really enjoyed her time with me. She protected me with all she had and was always there to guide me while growing up. She was often very stern and serious, but she did have her playfulness from time to time. She had never been a mother, but I could tell that she had always yearned to be. Her name was Imahni, an older Sheikah woman with sparkling silver eyes and lilac hair. They took her away from me the moment I was deemed a woman. I grew to love her which was why she wasn't allowed to return after I had grown. A princess must learn to stand proud even when alone. That was what they taught me here.

When I saw Link for the first time, I knew right away that he had always been alone like me. When he and Midna had come into my room on the night of Twilight, it was like I could read his mind. I felt like he could understand me. He had such kind blue eyes. He was innocent and wise with a chipper demeanor about him. Even though he was a mangy creature of the night he had still been wagging his tail and was eager to help no matter what was asked of him. I knew he wanted to help for the same reason I had wanted to. Not because it was the morally right thing to do. It had a small part but that was not what we were after. It was to have purpose. It was to have a sort of meaning to your life. His heart was pure then. I wondered about him now.

I was beginning to wonder where my own heart was going as well…

The sun was beginning to rise. The round orange crescent was beginning to creep over the hills and light up the pale blue skies. It was going to be a nice day. I heard the faint whistles of chirping birds and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was beginning to look like spring. It was too bad I wasn't going to be enjoying this weather. I watched as the sun came up with a morbid sense of horror.

I pulled the covers away and let the brisk morning air wash over my bare skin. Tiny goosebumps ran over me and prickled up in small round clusters. I knew it wasn't from the cold. The Dranvirs were coming this afternoon.

I remembered a story Imahni once told me about the woman who lost her soul. A poor peasant woman who was scrounging the streets had been desperate for money. She married a wealthy debonair to support her and her children. What she didn't know was that this man was soulless and greedy. He didn't want this woman. He only wanted the good in her. He sucked the life out of her and in turn took away her soul. The woman couldn't fool anyone, not even herself. She had lost what was important to her without even realizing it. She had given away her most sacred possession. She couldn't live with herself, she was empty. She turned to stone and was blown away into dust where she was forgotten.

That's how I felt as I watched the rising sun. I felt my body become hard and gritty as I waited for what was to come. I felt like I was giving my soul away, and that I too could become nothing more than dust. An empty woman. This was going against everything I had ever learned growing up.

A princess had to stand tall, even when alone. With my father's death creeping nearer and nearer to the end I was destined to be by myself sooner or later. But what bothers me the most is that he does not trust me to do this alone. Instead my father is only hiring another hand maiden for me to follow. A man who was going to lead me through my stages of running a kingdom was just another way to control me. I was not going to watch myself go down. If I had to I would run. I could do this on my own.

_Knock Knock Knock_

I jumped and scrambled to get out of bed. Without thinking I began smoothing the sheets and fluffing the sunken pillows. "Come in." I said breathlessly.

The door creaked open before I had even finished by sentence. A young maiden's head peeked through the bedroom door. She wore a large smile and seemed to dance into the room with springy steps. I eyed her warily and looked around the room for anything that could link me to running away last night. I felt guilty and wondered if this girl or anyone for that matter could guess that I was planning to make a run for it.

"Let's go get you fitted." She cooed. "They are almost here." I breathed out a relived sigh as I tried my best to look excited.

It was time to play along. I was good at pretending.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Sorry it took me so long to update. Thank you guys for being patient. I've been changing the plot around a bit and I've decided that I will later merge the Twilight world into Skyward Sword as well. I've been playing Skyward Sword a lot and I think adding a few new elements will add some interest to the story. <em>

_Please review as always and if you have any questions feel free to PM me. Thanks again._


	8. The Calm Before

**The Calm Before  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Zelda awoke with such a violent jerk she nearly knocked herself out of bed. Her eyes wrenched open in terror as she clambered back to the safety of her tangled sheets. Peering through the slits of the curtains Zelda could see the soft orange glow of the rising sun. She had not slept long, she realized as she wiped the sleep from her eyes, yet it felt as if she had been sleept for days.<p>

Zelda wiggled her toes and stretched her aching muscles, slowly remembering the previous nights dream. It had been dark, and her memory was a little fuzzy, but for some reason the dream made the pit in her stomach feel hard as stone. She had been falling in her dream, down a long and twisting hallway. She recognized the place, it was the same hallways she had been walking down since she was a little girl. Yet in the dream they were different. Brooding, long hallways that laughed with every advancing step. She had been running in terror. Breathless and full of freight, she ran til her legs felt like jelly and her pounding chest ached. Down the spiralling twists of stairways and through the clouded entryways. The darkness was nipping at her heels. She fell, down the crippled steps and plumented into darkness. The cold fingers of shadows ripping at her ankles..."Imposter!" She wailed and wailed. "IMPOSTER!"

_*Knock Knock Knock*_

Zelda gasped as her finger clenched tightly around her blankets. The door creaked open and a tangled mop of mousey brown hair emerged through the doorway.

"Your grace?" The serving girl asked timidly. "Is everything quite all right?"

Zelda's heart stopped pounding as the nightmare began to fade and her daymares came flooding back to her. A hard stone was developing in her stomach as reality began to sink back in...her dream, almost forgotten. She was still in her castle, she was still a princess, and today she was to be bethrothed to a stranger.

"Yes." Her lies flowed easily. "Everything is quite all right." Zelda pulled back her covers and untangled herself from the comforters.

"The guards heard noises last night m'lady. You sure you're feeling alright?" The mousey serving girl instantly began tending the sheets. She pulled the covers taut and smoothed the creases as Zelda's face flushed red.

"They came to check on you..." The girl began. Zelda's eyes jutted towards the open window. Her heart beating hard in her chest as she thought about what they might do to the girl who had helped her steal the two escape. Goddessess have mercy on her...

"I- I was uh..." Zelda stammered.

"No need to apologize for night terrors. I'm sure it's just from the nerves. You must be excited about today." The girl tittered as she smiled softly to herself. She floated about the room so carefree, tidying this, organizing that. So simple and ordinary, Zelda wished she could be in her place.

"Nerves, excusable, yes..." Zelda stated blankly as she ran soft fingers through unwashed, stringy hair. _If only you knew the half of it_. She fumed bitterly to herself as the serving girl continued on with her mundane chores. _If you only knew..._

"You are looking a bit pale this morning. Would you care for some breakfast? I know its nearing lunch but I'm sure the cooks can find you something to nibble on." The girl stopped folding the sheets to look at Zelda. The princess was sitting as frozen as an ice sculpture. "Y'grace?" She muttered.

Zelda felt as if she was being electrocuted. Her brain fried and unable to sort through her mess of thoughts. _Link...why aren't you here to stop this..._

"Princess..." The serving girl waved a hand in front of Zelda's unmoving gaze. Zelda snapped her head away from the open window and flashed a practiced smile.

"Breakfast sounds wonderful." She spoke politely. Her eyes drifting aimlessly about the room. _I could still escape, when the girl leaves._

"Wonderful!" The girl gushed. "I'll go grab you a platter and escourt you to Madame Freisch. Your father has a little surprise for you."

"My father?" Zelda groaned. _And of course I'm to be escorted._ The king was not yet strong enough to leave the castle, but the old king spirits had been raised ever since the Dranavirs had accepted his royal innvitation. King Daphnes III could be found roaming about the castle, drinking summerwine and eating fried pork in his leisure time. The sling that concelled his blackened arm was still as ominous as ever, but old King Daphnes didn't seem to take notice or listen when Renaldo would advise him back to bed.

"Strong like an ox." He would boast. "I never learned how to swordfight with my left arm, don't you think it's about time?" Then he would laugh a great booming guffaw that could be overheard in even the most crowded of rooms. Then he would drink his summerwine, two, three goblets at a time. Then at night when he whimpered in his sleep from pain, Renaldo would slip milk of the poppy into his drink and the great king would loll back into his slumber.

_He is not doing well..._Zelda shuddered, but followed the serving girl to Madame Freisch without so much as a girl bustled and babbled on as they walked the crowded hallways of Hyrule Castle. People of all sorts of ranks walked about, a rainbow of robes clambered by with streams of colorful banners, servants pushed carts teaming fresh fruits and ripe vegetables as the cooks bellowed orders from behind them. Lace, linen, gilded goblets decorated with garnets, silver trays, racks of uncooked meat. The smell of it all was overwhelming and there was still much much more.

Maids and butlers alike were seen bent over and scrubbing the dirt inbetween the cobblestones. The otherwise gloomy hallways were filled with soft orange light as the windows were pried open. The maids wiped them clean and beat dust out of the rugs as they coughed and sputtered. A small girl was trailing behind each one, leaving scents of lilacs and roses everywhere she went. The whole castle seemed to be alive, and bustling. Zelda walked through the maze only feeling dead and dreadful as she waved and smiled politely to passerbys.

The mousey brown haired girl left Zelda alone when they reached the guest wing near the north tower. "Madame Freisch is waiting for you inside. Make your self aquainted and I'll be back with your brunch." She bowed, giggled, and then tittered away, immediately lost in all the chaos that had consumed Zelda's castle.

Zelda's head was spinning when the opened the door to the seamstress's room. Her hands shook when she went to grab the doorknob and for a brief moment she thought to run. As she turned around she caught a glimpse of one of her father's sellswords. The small glint of his eye could be seen through his armored helm and Zelda knew he was watching her. She smiled curtiously and opened the door to the guest room.

Streams of light surrounded her as she closed the door behind her. The room was handsomely furnished, with wide gaping windows, a plush goose feather bed, and glowing a soft orange as the fire hissed and crackled in the pit. The room could have easily passed for Zelda's own quarters had it not been for the clutter everywhere.

Piles of fabrics covered the bed, suitcases were thrown open and their contents splayed across the room like some tornado hit. Candles had been left burning, the hot wax pooling over and sticking to the mantles. Books littered a small desk, their papers ripped out and lines furiously underlined with black ink. It took Zelda a long minute to realize that there was a person hidden in all this mess.

Madame Freisch was settled in an over plush armchair next to the cackling fire. Large spectacles took up nearly half her face and made her brooding dark eyes seem large and bug-like. She was ornately dressed in layers and layers of fine fabrics woven and dyed to such extremities that the poor girl oddly resembled a peacock. If the woman knew of Zelda's presence, she didn't acknowledge it.

"Ahem" Zelda coughed. Very slowly, the woman with the horned glasses finished reading her page and then calmy put the book down. She scratched her temple broodingly and then turned her eyes to the princess.

"I wasn't expecting you so soon." She said as cool as running water. She stood up slowly giving Zelda a better chance to look at her. She was a frail looking thing, yet had bold almond eyes and a strong pointed jaw. Her hair was a curly and unruly mess. Tamed back with prods and pins to give the woman a more noble appearance. She wore an emerald green dress with tiny purls embedded inbetween the laces, but when Zelda stepped closer she could see stains and tears on the hems.

"I didn't mean to disturb." Zelda flushed, eyeing the thick weathered book in the bony seamstresses hands. It was a peculiar looking thing, dark black with yellowed old pages. Madame Freisch caught Zelda staring and then with one quick flick of the wrist, she threw the leather bound book into the burning flames. Zelda tried to cover her shocked expression as she watched the pages of the book burn blacker still and turn to ash.

"Sorry if I've disturbed you." She repeated, not taking her eyes off the hissing flames. "My father says you have a gift to show me?" Zelda wished desperately that she could find a place to sit. All the stools and chairs were covered with sewing needles, rolls of fabric, and piles of washed and unwashed clothes mixed alike.

Madame Freisch laughed heartily. "Oh my queen," she bowed, ignoring Zelda's awkardness "I am your gift. Do you think your father is going to let you meet Prince Dranavir in your Hylian garb?" Madame laughed again as she picked up folds of red, gold and onyx cloth. "You don't expect your new prince to arrive in the bold lilac and gold colors of house Harnikan do you?"

Zelda went numb and bitter at the sound of the foreign prince's name. She forced a nervous laugh and said, "What a queer sight that would be..." Madame Freisch nodded obliviously as she began measuring the cloth and folding it over itself, one, two, three times. A spell of silence went over them as Zelda mosied about the room glancing at different garments and ballgowns Madame Freisch had sewed herself. They were beautiful, with much detail, and the colors, so vibrant and fun. Each one carefully hand stitched and personalized. She wondered what happy occassions these had been worn for. Zelda would have liked a nice pastel pink gown or even a sky blue frock to wear to the party, but Madame Freisch was cutting the black cloth now. Black...the color of death.

Zelda peered into the fire where the book was now smoldering. When she squinted she could still see the faint outline of the book cover. _House of...house of what? _she wondered. Either the flames were playing tricks with her or her lack of sleep, but Zelda could have sworn she saw the head of a dragon leaping through the flames, trying to catch the fiery kiss that rose from the coals.

"What was that you were reading?" Zelda pried as Madame lifted her arms to get her measurements. The older woman pretended not to hear her as she bit down on a pin and tighted the cloth around Zelda's midsection. The Madame continued her work as she rotated Zelda this way and that, spinning her around and around until she had calculated every inch of her body.

"It was a horror story. Not for the likes of pretty princesses like you." She said curtly as she began to stick furiously at the hem line.

"I saw it." Zelda continued. "How can it be a horror story? It was a book on the history of houses...but which-"

"I said it is not a story for pretty little birds like yourself." The Madame warned dangerously. "You have a lot more to worry about than the history of some old house that was written near over a hundred years ago."

Zelda huffed in irritation. She was not a child anymore. She was going to be a queen and queens should know of the matters of the realm. "I saw a dragon in the fire. Tell me the true meaning of this book at once!" Zelda stated firmly. Slowly Madame took of her glasses and set them carefully on her lap. Without her bifocals on she looked almost comely and less harsh.

"If you must know..." She sighed.

"Yes- I must." Zelda declared, her voice returning to its usual weak state. Madame eyed her suspiciously and glanced to see if the door was shut.

"It's a book on the history of the noble house of Dranavir. I was hoping to get a sneak peek before tonight but I'm afraid the poor book had nothing of what I wanted." Madame paused, noticing that the answer was not good enough for the princess. "You need not worry of what I read. " she growled firmly as she returned to her sewing needle. "Stand up again." She instructed Zelda as she tightened her corset. Zelda gasped inbetween pulls of the strings and tried to ignore the crushing feeling she got in her ribs. But more importantly she tried to resist the bile that was building in her stomach. The book in the flames made her feel uneasy.

"What of the dragon?" She gasped as Madame pulled the strings tightly under her bossom, making her breasts firm and perky.

"What of the dragons?" Madame hummed. "They are all dead. They've been dead for thousands of years." The seamstress was holding something back, Zelda could tell by her brisk answers.

"What do the Dranavirs have to do with dragons? Doesn't it seem quite pecu- ouch that hurts!" Zelda cried out as the needle jabbed her right between the shoulder blades.

"It's their house sigil. As your royal sigil is the triforce of wisdom, courage, and strength. Now stop fidgetting. If I leave you bloody and marked for your meeting with the prince your father will lop my head off." The seamstress was trying hard to mask the anger that was rising from her voice. Despite her sea of questions, Zelda kept her mouth shut.

It had taken more than a few hours to get fitted and curl her hair and make-up. When Zelda eyed herself in the mirror she only saw a lost little child instead of the beautiful decorated woman in front of her. Madame Freisch had truely outdone herself. Zelda was clothed in a fine satin gown, the color a deep onyx embroidered with shining red lace that reminded her of blood. Lines of crimson trimmed around the plunging neck line, her bodice infused with fine Zoran silks that gleamed almost wetly in the right lighting. Her sash was encrusted with fiery red rubies that drank up the sun and glowed like fiery coals, around the garnets and rubies the golden triforce was sewn intricately in the middle of the sash, pulled tightly to accentuate her bulging breasts. Zelda eyed them warily as they threatned to burst out of her corset. _A Queen should look modest..._ Zelda fumed to herself silently as she stared back at the decorated stranger. _I look naught like myself..._

Behind her, Madame Freisch was beaming sheepishly at her work of art. Zelda watched in the relfection as the seamstress put on the final touch. A magnificent hairpiece, a shining ruby rose with golden pedals. The jewlery must have weighed nearly two stones. Zelda winced as her head was prodded and her hair pinned into submission, the weight of the hairpiece pulled her hair taut and gave her a headache. Madame took a step back as she finished unrolling the hot curls from Zelda's golden hair and smiled softly to herself.

"A beautiful queen you will be. The colors of house Harnikan and Dranavir go quite magnificently together." Madame preened.

_The colors of greed. _Zelda couldn't help but think. _Blood, gold, and darkness. __A bad sign indeed. _"The dress is quite beautiful." This was the truth. "How will I ever repay you for your kindness?"

Madame only laughed. "Sweet girl, it is a service I am happy to give. Working with you alone is gift enough."

"I'm afraid I don't understand...Surely you must need something?" Zelda stepped down from her stool, now standing a good half a foot below Madame Freisch. She made a grab for her coin purse but was only batted away politely.

"Dear child. I made your mother's wedding gown and I promised myself I'd do the same for her daughter." She paused as if remembering something. A glimmer of sadness appeared in those large brown pools but it was gone as soon as it came. "I do hope you will allow me once the time comes of course..." She trailed.

Zelda's heart jumped at the sound of her mother's name? "You knew her?" She queried excitedly. Zelda knew very little of her mother, she had died when Zelda was very young. Sometimes Zelda would imagine her face, or hear her voice in her dreams, but then the image would blur and cloud and morning always came. Zelda could not tell if even knew her mother's face anymore.

"Knew her?" Madame chuckled. "We were best friends. Wa before your father even knew she existed. Your mother and I used to do everything. Well...before your father came and took her to court and bedded her. Can't say I wasn't jealous. What girl doesn't grow up wishing to be a princess?" The seamstress spoke dreamily.

_I don't wish to be a princess. _"It must have been exciting for her." Zelda added, trying to imagine her parents riding off to the castle together on a white stallion. She could imagine her father but could only see the long flowing blonde hair that trailed her mother's back.

"They were quite the pair." Madame continued. "Why, I remember your father-". Before Madame could utter another word there was a loud bang on the door.

"The trumpets are sounding! Our royal guests have arrived!" A shout from beyond the door yelled and then scurried off to alert the others.

"They were madly in love." Madame Freisch patted Zelda reassuringly before standing. "Come, let's go meet your prince."

_And I am just to go mad__..._ Zelda bit her lip and then followed the seamstress out the door.


	9. The Storm

**The Storm  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Even a blind man would not be able to deny the beauty of the Dranavirs. They came by horse, carrige and foot alike. Their bannermen up front, proudly showcasing the black and crimson banners up high for all of Hyrule to see. Behind the bannermen came a throng of knights and squires ranging from green boys to weathered old men, each riding on all black stallions, the red cloaks of house Dranavir waved proudly on their backsides.<p>

Lord Adravan Dranavir lingered near the middle of his fleet alongside with his son Adrian. Both were seated atop large black destriers that seemed to tower over the other stallions and mares by at least a good foot. They rode in with faces as hard as stone, rigid backs, and their heads held high, without a trace of amusement. They were nearly identical. Lord Adravan pranced only on his warhorse, chatting idly to his son. Both men were fierce looking. Lord Adravan's grey streaked hair only added to his handsomeness and made him appear wise and experienced. His son Adrian was cut out of the same statue. Tall, well built, and a full head of dark brown hair. Zelda tried to stand on her tiptoes to get a better look at her new suitor. The thought of them standing face to face made angry butterflies swirl in her stomach.

Behind lord and son, clambered a shining white carrige, carrying Lord Adravan's wife and daughters, it was gilded with gold and painted intricately with such detail it was difficult to even see there was a design unless you were standing up close. A cumbersome thing it was, large enough to hold at least ten people. It's large wheels knocked and bumped over the cobblestones making an awful loud racket. The white cursors pulling the carriage did not look so dangerous as the other horses. They weren't even garbed in the hideous black and red colors Lord Dranavir seemed to love so much.

"_Mayhaps my lord husband will not dress me as a mourning widow everyday after all._" Zelda preened anxiously as she watched from the castle steps alongside her father and several of his kingsguard. _It would be a pity to dress like this everyday._ She thought as she felt the black bodice squeezing against her ribs. _"My skin seem pale and deceased trapped in this awful garb. And so itchy..." _Zelda fumed and try to think of happier thoughts. She daydreamed, thinking of pastels, and flowers with vibrant colors, of her garden, and the book sitting beside her bed that she had not finished reading. Thinking of anything but the Dranavirs.

More than half of Castle Town had arisen from their beds that morning to catch a glimpse of their new prince. Those who were at work or home were peering from shop windows or behind their curtains with wary and curious eyes. It was a beautiful day out, Zelda thought as a light breeze pushed a stray hair from her face. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to imagine that it was only her, but not a second later her father squeezed her shoulder with his good arm and motioned for her to walk down the castle steps.

"You look just like your mother did when I first met her." Her father boomed beside her. He always yelled, even if you were standing a foot from earshot. Zelda blushed as she saw the crowd's eyes turning upon her to gaze at her beauty.

"Thank you my King. A very gracious compliment indeed." Zelda spoke politely as she tried not to mistep over her draping gown and raised heels. _"Did mother look like a brothel whore?" _She thought dryly as she watched her bossoms bounce freely down the stairs, thretening to escape with every jiggle. Every step she took down felt a little less like freedom. King Daphnes was beaming ear to ear when he ordered the gatekeepers to lower the bridge. _"This is not me..."_ Zelda was growing anxious.

A mob of people ran to Castle Town's western gate as they scrambled over one another to get a good glimpse at the Gold King and his litter. The bannermen came first and blew their trumpets to announce the coming of Lord Dranavir and his humbled guests. Then after came the carriage, surrounded by knights and squires who were pushing and shouting at unruly commoners to back away. Harnikan and Dranavir knights alike fought off the waves of people that grabbed and pulled at the wagons, and banged on the carriages, begging for gold and food while freightening the poor servants inside who probably had no money to give at all.

The commoners shouted obscenities at them as they tried to tear down one of Lord Dranavirs wagons. Knights with shields and longswords unsheathed their weapons and ran towards the crowd, bellowing orders and threatening to flay anyone who tried to interfere. Most of the peasents were unarmed and ran willingly at the sound of steel. And then it happened all so fast.

A man, with a flushed red face and a bulbous nose came tearing through the crowd. He charged like a bull as he hammered through the throng of people and the lines of guards. His breath was reeking of alcohol and he bellowed and snorted like an ox. He staggered towards Lord Adravan's black mount, clumsily pulling out a dagger from his waistline."I'll murder you!" He growled as he lumbered towards the lord and his son. "You took her away!" He screamed, his face turning the color of a plum.

Before he could get anywhere near, one of the red cloaks reared his mount around and galloped towards the man. The red knight unsheathed his weapon and struck the portly man with the blunt of his blade. Toppling down, the large man growled and thrashed as he tried to regain his balance. The red cloak jumped down from his horse and pounced on the drunk, who was lying flat on his back like an awkward turtle. The knight scrambled to wrestle him back to the ground as the man swung wildly. His blade nearly hit the knight's cheek, but missed and instead cut nothing but thin air with a _whoosh._

Before the drunkard could even make contact, another guard came barreling through the crowd. He never hesitated to bring down the shield. Zelda shut her eyes and cringed but she could still hear the _thump_ and _thwak _where metal met skull. When she opened her eyes she could see the cobblestones bleeding. A pool of deep crimson ebbed its way through the cracks and grooves of the street. Making grotesque patterns and turning a deeper red as the wound leaked. If the shield had been of house Harnikan or Dranavir, she would never know. The crowd began to scatter in a frantic panic.

A small girl, no more than nineteen came hurdling through the barrier. "He was my brother!" She cried out from the chaos. "Why!" She screamed as she ran to the listless body laying in the streets. "He was my brother" she wailed again as she picked up the crushed skull from the pavement. Zelda was reminded horribly of a cracked egg, it's yolk spilling from its shell. She had eaten eggs that very morning. Her stomach felt sick and she surpressed a gag. The knight who had fallen from his horse was already back in his stirrups and stepping over the body while the common girl wept.

"Let that be a reminder to anyone else who tries to defile a knight of the red cloaks." He bellowed out with a bored look on his face. The crowd seemed unfazed as they continued their chants for gold and food, still following the parade like a hoard of starving dogs. Zelda caught sight of her soon to be prince. He was chuckling and making a jest with a nearby squire.

"Father, are we not protectors of the realm? Are we just going to stand by and do nothing for our people?" Zelda wanted to retch. She couldn't take her eyes off the soiled red ground. The sister was still in the streets, red faced and streaked with tears. Zelda felt the anger boiling inside of her, and wanted to scream.

"That man was a traitor."The king stated. "Any man who tries to harm Lord Dranavir is now a foe to us. Our people will learn how to respect both parties or they will indeed suffer for it." His tone was stern yet oddly calm. It was if he was commenting about the weather and not seeing the battered man in the street.

"Why would that man want to hurt him so badly? They could have easily disarmed him. We could have held a proper trial. We should have-" Zelda was abruptly cut off.

"Silence!" The king shouted so loud that a few people began to glance their way. Zelda huffed in anger and glowered at her peers. Her face flushed in embarassment and her fists clenced into tight balls. _"Nobody is bothered by this..." _She seethed.

The king seemed to notice, he sighed and went to comfort her with his good arm. "If you don't set an example, the rats will run free and infest the city with disease. We need order and control." He hesitated. "Some of the older houses still hold grudges against House Dranavir... Lord Adravan's grandfather..." He stopped himself and changed subject. "If our new prince shows weakness, why would our people have reason to believe he can protect them? This are our honored guests. Last I checked no one invited the peasants to come and have a look." The king grumbled.

"It wasn't even him, it was his-"

"His men, yes." Her father finished for her. "A house is only as noble as the people who stand behind it." He reminded her. It was something the king could be quoted on quite a lot.

_"Then this is no noble house." _Zelda watched the blood leaking through the maze of stones, growing heavy and turning a brownish, murky, red. _"The people who stand behind them are vile and cruel." _Zelda wanted to run back to her chambers and cry, but her father and the ten knights behind her would surely catch her before she could get anywhere. And even if she could run, where would she go?

"Yes m'lord father, as you say." She said instead, "But what of his sister?"

King Daphnes smiled under his coarse black beard, salted white, and wiggled a fat finger at her. "A sweet and thoughtful girl you are. The realm should will be grateful to have you for their queen." He chuckled, "But remember, realms are not run by flowers and kisses. Perhaps you have been spending too much time in the castle walls... But since it is your day I will help ease your mind."

"Adravan!" He boomed. "See that the weeper is taken care of."

The lordling didn't even glance back at the crying girl. Instead Zelda saw him whisper something to his squire. The boy could have been no more than 15, yet he held a sword and shield just as well as the others and stood just as proud. Zelda saw the lad smile as he went to grab something underneath his red cloak. He turned his horse to meet the poor girl.

For a horrible second, Zelda thought the young squire was going to cut her head off when he dismounted. But then she saw the fat coin purse in his hand, weapons away, and he placed the gold in the sister's hand. She stared up at the squire in disgust as she coddled her dead brother and clutched the purse in the other.

"Courtesies of House Dranavir" he said kindly, although his coy smile did not seem sincere. The other commoners seemed to take scent of the rupees. Those who had been scared off were cautiously beginning to creep their way back to the food and riches.

"Bugger your house!" The woman screamed with hateful eyes as she threw the coin purse back in the squires face. It hit him square in the nose but he only chuckled.

"This coin could have bought your brother some new clothes and a nice coffin." The squire kicked at the body. "Gone and shit himself he did! Now you both reek like chamberpots!" He roared with laughter, picking the coin purse back up. "I'm sure these fine folk will appreciate House Dranavir's generosity more than a wailing whore and her drunk of a brother."

The squire spit on the body while the young girl could only tremble and shake. Whether it was fear or anger, Zelda didn't know. Without turning around, the squire mounted his steed once more and then flung the purse out into the crowd. A rainbow of rupees went flying through the air. Emerald greens, amber yellow, ruby red, and even a few royal purples.

The peasants flocked to the gold like flies on shit. Pushing each other and ripping their fellow brothers apart to get a small piece of wealth. Zelda could hear them shouting. Shouts of joy, anger, and freight. But the sickest noise of all was the "_thank yous"._

"Thank you my lord!"

"LONG LIVE HOUSE DRANAVIR!"

"Bless Prince Adrian!"

"Praise Princess Zelda!"

"Goddesses bless you!"

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" They all shouted in chorus.

"Father!" Zelda shouted. "Enough of this folly!" She had to turn away before she got sick. What was this madness? This was not the Hylian way...

"Why are they thanking them!" She screamed to no one and trembled with rage.

"Close the gates " Her father ordered with a listless flick of his wrist. The knights of Hyrule struggled to keep back the begger peasants, but with a few more threats and swords the crowd drew back and the gateway to Castle Town and Hyrule Castle was severed. Zelda sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. The madness was done for now, but if she strained her ears enough she could still hear the crying outside.

"It's alright my sweet. Those savage monsters won't hurt you. The gate has closed." Her father wiped the tears from her cheeks and then descended the stairway to meet with the Dranavirs.

_"The monsters are in our walls now." _Zelda shivered as she blindly followed her father to their _honored _guests.

* * *

><p><em>AN: So as you can see I've done some editing. The story is still the same I just tweaked a few of the chapters. I noticed that I switched from first person to third. I think from here on out it will be done in the 3rd person. Sorry for the confusion, like I've said I've been doing LOTS of editing.<em>

_Please review and let me know what you think :)_


	10. Castle Town

I couldn't tell you what it was that compelled me to show up. It wasn't something I had planned on. I hated crowds, I hated all the noise they brought. The way they squabbled and paraded in line like a bunch of sheep being led by their shepherd into a slaughter house. It stunk outside the castle gates. The air was thick with body odor and the smell of rotting soil. The winter snows had nearly all but disappeared and it left the cobblestone pavements slick with mud and a slow steady trickle of black water. The people didn't seem to care, they came huddling out of their houses in groups of all sizes, all anxious and desperate to catch even the slightest glimpse of the noble house Dranavir. I was all but a ghost in the crowd. I had dressed plainly in a rough spun tunic and left my damp hair out to air dry. I hadn't slept at all the previous night but I was glad to have a soak in the spring before showing up here. It was a small effort, but it was all I was willng to give. I looked nothing like the glamoured hero these people had once loved so dear. In fact, no one seemed to recognize me, and if they did they only cast me disdainful looks and pushed their children away and scurried closer to the castle gates. I hated them for that. The commoners will jump on to one glittery hero to the next without so much as a second thought. I won't deny that I was a more than bitter that day.

You tell the people what they want to hear and they flock like flies on shit. It's true I didn't want to be a hero anymore but it was just salt to the wound when I saw all the peasants screaming and crying tears of joy for someone that had never lifted so much as a finger for them. Ther had been rumours floating about of the riches and golds the Dranavirs were going to be carrying in with their fleet. I heard the townsfolk gushing about their new saviour and telling tales of the great deeds their family had done throughout the years. They held poorly sown dark crimson and black banners up in the air, and waved for the noble house in the streets like loyal mangy dogs awaiting their master. When the large black horses and knights rolled through, the annointed knights and freeriders that followed the Dranavirs' party didn't even give a second glance to the poor and starving peasants in the streets. They instead kept their heads high with shit eating grins and all but ignored the cheers and shouts that were calling their names nearly trampling those who were unfortunate enough to stand in there way.

When I first caught sight of Zelda I didn't even recognize her at first. She was standing up on the top of the stairs perched besides her father's great bulging shoulders like a little bird. She wasn't wearing her usual lilacs and soft pastels but instead looked harsher with the jutting black shape of her dress and the blood colored trimming along her bodice. She was nervous. I watched her twitter about like a bird that had just flown into a glass window. Her wings were still there somewhere, but it was apparant that she had forgotten how to fly and was to stunned or scared to move. As I pushed myself through the crowd without caring to apologize to those I knocked shoulders with and elbowed past I finally got a glimpse of her famous suitor.

He was everything she was not. Where she was a pretty little song bird he was a vicious black raven. He nearly towered a foot and a half taller than her. He wore a full armored suit as black as ink, embroidered in fine jewels and an ornate design that had been slammed and shaped with an anvil probably near half a thousand time to make the shape of a dragonhead breathing fire. Made made by some rich lord's blacksmith probably. His father's most like. Adrian Dranavir jumped off his horse in an overexaggerated fashion as he sneered and flashed his pearly white fangs. His long wavy dark black hair fell a little short of his shoulders without a string out of place. His cloack as black as night waved gallantly in the wind as he went to shake the king's hand. His boots were gilded with gold and silver and looked as if they had never touched the soil as they seemed to shine and glimmer just like the rest of his costume. I couldn't help but notice that there was neither a dent or a scratch on it in the pretty polished armor. I doubt he had ever gotten into a fight with that breastplate on. I couldn't help but smile as I watched the rest of his party descend from there horses.

Somewhere from afar I saw the rustle of crowd movement from the corner of my eye as people scampered and shoved at one another. A girl was wailing loudly and I heard men and small boys bellowing at each other to get out of the way. I heard them shouting for jewels and victory and a new beginning. I sneered at their stupidty and took the opportunity to wedge myself closer to the castle gates. The Dranavirs bannermen and freeriders were blocking my view from the royal family. Zelda had disappeared within the split second I had looked away.

A large bull of a man rushed past me with a small dirk in his hand towards the largest part of his crown. He looked flushed and angry as beads of sweat trickled down his forehad. Something about his expression was off. The crowd was acting differently, more restless. Only then did I happen to look over. Seeping through the cracks in the pavement was a slow moving pool of dark red liquid. Blood? Had someone been trampeled. The shouts grew louder and more incomprehensible as the chaos insued. I preened my ears and tried to listen for a hint of what was happening. A strange dark pit was beginning to fill deep within my bowels. Zelda was completely encrowded behind all the black cloaks. The crowd felt different, panicked, in a frenzy. I grabbed for the hilt of my sword and kept my fingers firmly grasped on the handle as I whirled about looking for the cause of the blood.

"I saw it first!" An older man, nearly forty years older than I, was clutching a fistful of green sparkling rupees. He probably had no more than enough to buy one loaf of bread and a wheel of old cheese, yet two younger boys prowled after him like abused hungry lions. I tried to rush towards them but the crowd was thick and unwilling to move. It seemed as if all the attention had been turned off the Dranavirs and into the town square where money was scattered throughout the street.

"Move!" I growled as my voice went on deaf ears. One of the boys chasing the old man had jumped onto his hunched back and was strangling him back into the crowd. The younger of the two boys, a small little thing whose skin stuck tightly to his ribs, pulled out a small rusted dirk and stuck the old man flat in the belly with no hesitation. Dark blood seeped through the plain brown rags the old man was wearing. The two boys had fled before the old man had even dropped to the ground.

If the knife wound hadn't killed him, the stampede of the crowd surely did after they had trampled him to death as they shoved and cursed at one another like savage beasts. Women were pulling each others hair, shrieking, and even the men were throwing young girls and children away like rag dolls as they went after their treasures. A small child was crying out for her mother, her face damp with tears and dirt. A boy of ten was sitting next to the corpse of what I could only assume to be his father. The body was twisted and the face stomped in until it didn't even look human. I was feeling sick.

I turned around so quickly that I fell to the ground. My knee scrapped against pavement and I could feel the dirt and pebbles irritating my skin. A man ran past and crushed three of my fingers. I cried out in pain as my fingers throbbed and turned a deep maroon color. I sprang to my feet before another someone came along and finished my other hand.

The gates to the castle was now almost fully empty now that the princess had gone inside and the promise of money had ceased. I ran and pushed past the stragglers and nearly threw myself into one of the royal guards.

"Let me in." Link said, trying to catch his breath. The guard eyed him suspiciously as he glanced at Link's tattered clothing. He was now covered in mud, a slick sheen of sweat, and had a blood stain directly over his knee, a slow trickle of blood oozing out. He blended in with the crowd perfectly.

"This is a private event. No civilians." The guard said sternly as his partner came creeping over to shoo Link away, a large pike in his hand.

"I'm with the guard." Link inisted as he dusted some mud and dirt off of his tattered tunic and disheveled hair. He pulled the Hyrulian sword from her scabbard and showed the two suspicious guards the mystical forged steel that was the Master Sword.

"Looks fake" the fatter guard said dully as he eyed the steel and I with suspicious beady eyes. His grip was still firm on the pointed pike he held in his hand. The steel glinted in the afternoon sun. Such sharp steel wasted on such a dull man. Any fool could see that this was not fake. Link's only answer was a blank stare full of contempt.

The thinner guard flipped his sword over and seemed to weigh the blades thickness and he turned it with his fingers. "Looks like fine steel." he said slowly as he took notice of Link's tunic. It was a dirty thing, all soiled and tattered, it didn't seem to fit the sword. "Zelda was expecting you earlier." he stated cautiously, as if he was still pondering if this Link was just an intruder or not.

"I got caught up." Link said boredly as he glanced behind his shoulder. The crowd seemed as if they were beginning to calm down again. Alarmingly, a dead commoner was not such an uncommon thing anymore. The townsfolk were already stepping over the dead corpse as if it had been apart of the town square for years. No one even seemed to take so much as a second glance at the dead body. The blood was still pooling listlessly into the cobblestone cracks. A maze of incoherent red rivers.

"Aye..." the guard agreed as he stepped aside, still cautious as ever. "You may pass, but I'm watching you."

Link doubted he would even pose a threat as he passed between the two idiots. Both guards looked as if they had been pampered and spoiled within the confides of the castle. Link bet neither of them had even seen battle for years. They looked soft and rounded instead of the lean and lithe soliders Link had once fought with what seemed like forever ago. Hyrule was a much different place now.

Passing through the castle gates was like entering a portal to a new world. Where the outside had been dirty and chaotic, the inside was clean and organized. Party-goers were dressed in fine silks and dyed leathers. Women wore pounds of jewlery on big gaping necks and thick fingers. Men wore fine boots and expensive furs, their swords and belts inlaid with precious metals and forged intricately with different designs and patterns. The smell was even different. The smell of cloves, wine, and expensive purfumes filled the air. Link suddenly became very aware of the smell of sweat and dirt that hung off of him like a heavy cloud. It somewhat amused him to see the debutants wrinkle up their noses as he walked by.

There were very few people Link recognized. The people at this party were not the people of Ordon, Castle Town, Kakariko, or any other village Link knew of. There was a queer feeling in his stomach as he walked down the long lengthy halls of Zelda's Castle. He did not recognize the feeling but there was something almost...longing to it. He did not feel belonging in his tattered clothes. These familes were from rich houses, noble houses. The houses that were here had family that went from back to the dawn of ages. All rich and respected houses that had worth and power in the kingdom. Familes that took care of each other, that held on to each other. Link would never have that. He never knew who his parents were, probably peasants most like...he guessed, he would never know why they had abandoned him.

Link suddenly wanted to be done with this farce. He was beginning to question why he had even decided to come. "For Zelda" he thought. "For her." a voice came to him unwillingly. A part of him knew it was true but he still wanted to argue against it.

He found her in the throne room, like he always did. Zelda's father was propped up beside her, looking as dead as ever. He had to have pillows propped around him to keep him up in his throne. He looked like no true king at all. King of Corpses maybe, but not king of Hyrule. Zelda also looked half a corpse herself. Her eyes were vacant as she sat perched up against her father like the little bird she was. Link didn't want to acknowledge the black raven that was beside her. It was the prince he knew, but he thought he looked more like the prince of darkness than he did the prince of Hyrule. A stab of anger went through him that he could not explain.

It was quieter in the throne room. Less people were in here than there was in the main hall. Only a few of Zelda's close companions ahd her fathers consultants were in the room. The Dranavir family was at the foot of the throne, talking in whispers to the king who looked as if he was being coaxed into agreeing with whatever they were saying. Zelda looked expressionless and defeated. Link did not know what was going on between her and her new suitor, but all he did know was that he did not like the sight of the two of them standing together.

The new prince, directly behind the princess, as tall and as cocky as ever. The way he towered over her you would have thought that the two of them had been together for years. He wasn't touching her, but his nose was barely an inch or two away from the top of her head, Link hated the way his crotch was nearly touching the back of the princess's behind in such a ludacrious way in front of both his and Zelda's family. It was insulting and demeaning. Link had only been around the new prince for a few seconds and already the thought of him tasted like rancid bile in the back of his throat. Angrily, he stomped into the throne room.

The look Zelda gave him was a queer one. At first it had seemed as it she was happy to see him, but then she looked sad, almost embarassed. As if he had caught her in the act of something. The look a lover might have given if their spouse had caught them cheating. Link felt his throat catch in his mouth. Zelda nodded at him, as if to say hello, and then she turned her gaze back to her father and her new lord father-in-law.


	11. A Night With The Dranavirs

Zelda felt a queer sense of nervousness wash over her as she stood atop the podium with her father and husband to be. She had thought for an instant, that she had seen Link out in the crowd, but the man she had seen looked about 20 pounds lighter than the Link she remembered, and his clothing was too dirty and unkempt to possible be Link. Her senses were playing tricks on her today. Earlier she thought she had heard a wolf howl beyond the Castle Walls. But of course, that was impossible. There had been no wolves since the Twilight Days.

Her father was coughing into his handkerchief with loud rasping breaths. Wiping spittle off of his great beard as he held himself up on stage with a cane. Zelda's husband-to-be was smiling with his ghastly white teeth. Zelda only stood quietly in between both men as she surveyed the crowd cautiously. The beating in the crowd had been enough for her to stomach in one day. Even though it was empty, she still felt as if she were about to throw up on her silk gown and embarrass her father. Something about the Dranavirs left a peculiar taste in her mouth.

The royal family and their honored guests had now all finally tottered into the castle's man hall. A band had begun to play in the northeast corner. They were playing a happy and fast little jig. The violin players and the cellists were bouncing merrily about as they played fast and strong. The tune seemed strangely out of place and alien. Besides a band, there was many other accommodations that had been set up for the royal banquet. A large food table stood near the west end, steaming and smelling delicious as sin. There was baked apple pies, butter crusted salmon, sweet lemon cakes, broiled pigeon pies, Yeto Soup, Lon Lon Ice Cream, grilled cuccos, lemon roasted goats, and much more. Zelda's stomach turned as she walked past the long rectangular tables. Even though it smelled scrumptious, she still didn't feel quite hungry. She had vaguely noticed that Adrians gloved hand had gripped her own quite forcefully. She was wincing a little, the leather of his black gloves squeezed tightly around her own white silk gloves.

Ahead of her, Zelda's father and soon-to-be-father-in-law were talking in hushed voices about marriage arrangements.

"Best to do it sooner. The commoners will be more likely to aide our cause in such circumstances." Zelda heard Lord Adravan whispering to her father. She knew not much about him so far, but what she did know was that she did not like him. He reminded her of a snake, the way his tongue spat quickly in and out of his thin slimy mouth. He had been her naught yet an hour and already he was advising her father nearly every time she heard him open up his mouth.

"And what cause would that be again?" the King spoke gruffly. "I quite doubt that they will want to see their country bleed again. We are still hurting from the last war." The king coughed a loud racking cough and spit a large green glob of phlegm into his handkerchief. Lord Adravan pretended not to notice. "The Days of Twilight have left this once flourishing country nearly barren. I don't know if my people can afford to rally to another cause at such point."

"All the more reason to wed the young couple sooner." Lord Adravan lowered his voice. "If you have seen what I have in the crystals, you would know that there is much gold to be had. It's ripe for the taking."

"Then why can't you do it yourself!" the King chuffed. "I have agreed to marry Zelda to your son. I do not recall you saying that my army was required as well." he prickled.

Lord Adravan bowed lowly. His oily black hair concealing half his face, his eyes glinting wetly. "As the king says." he said slowly, smiling to himself as if he had some great sort of secret. "I have also seen in the crystal that you will have a most powerful grandson..." he paused. "That is...of course...as long as the marriage continues on the path I have seen it on." His thin lips pulled into a gruesome smirk.

The king wasn't an idiot. He knew exactly what the Lord was getting at. "Fine." he whispered gruffly. "Have your master of coin in my office tomorrow and we will talk about the wedding plans. Discuss...but not set in stone." the king said carefully. Zelda felt her stomach do a double knot. Her lord suitor's hands encircling her own fingers even tighter now it seemed. He was pretending not to pay attention to his father and hers conversation but she could tell that he was just as engrossed as she was. Some part of her told her that he had already known that this was going to happen, an unsettling feeling. It made her feel like the Dranvavirs were up to something that was no good. After all...how peculiar was it, that as soon as her father had become gravely sick, that they just seemed to pop up out of nowhere?

The party continued at an agonizingly slow pace. The king, who had felt suddenly very ill, had returned to his bedchambers to rest and ponder the proposition that Lord Adravan had made. Zelda was now uncomfortably aware that she was alone with the Dranavirs. Any time that she had escaped to talk to a party guest, Adrian was right beside her, standing a bit too close for her liking. She could feel his long straight nose blowing hot breath on the top of her head. Sometimes she could feel the hard hilt of his sword pressing uncomfortably against the small of her back.

Lady Antwood, a renowned dressmaker in Castle Town, was now chatting happily with Zelda about her new suitor. "Such a handsome man, " she preened, "you must have been so pleased when you saw him step out of that carriage. Who was it..." Lady Antwood was slurring her words a bit, the goblet in her hand growing emptier and emptier, "who was it...that had to marry Igor the Ugly? Was it your mother's 2nd cousin or your fathers? I can't remember. Beast of a man!" she laughed heartily. Zelda smiled meekly and could only think to nod.

"You are too kind my lady." Adrian bowed theactrically and planted a kiss on Lady Antwood's hand. She blushed furiously and giggled like a little girl. "But I believe it is I who am the lucky one. I have heard of Zelda's beauty since I was just a boy still in his studies.

_You mean you have heard of my lands riches and my father's power since you were a boy_. Zelda thought, but instead she thanked him with a curtsey and feigned another smile so hard that it made her cheeks hurt.

Lady Antwood looked at Zelda lovingly, clearly entranced by Adrian's oily charm. "I would be so pleased if you would allow me to make your wedding gown. Free of charge of course, it would mean more than gold to me to see a royal family sporting one of my own creations."

"That would please us greatly, I'm sure." Adrian lopped his arm tightly around Zelda's waist, pulling her closely into his chest. He smelled of smoke, wine, and a tinge of something that smelled oddly like blood. Zelda tried to breathe from her mouth. "May I refill your cup? Mine has gone dry as well. Zelda? How about you? It's your party after all, shouldn't you be seen celebrating?" His eye glinted in such a way that she did not like.

"Oh yes! Very true!" Lady Antwood beamed as she handed over her empty goblet. "Get us both one. A little bit of wine never hurt anyone Zelda."

"Just a small glass please. I still have a lot of talking to do tonight and would like my wits about me." A little wine might be nice actually. Take some of my nerves away...

Lady Antwood watched with hungry eyes as Adrian sauntered away. "Such a handsome handsome lad..." she whispered, almost to herself.

When Adrian came back Zelda took her glass gratefully as she watched Lady Antwood drink deeply. Now flushed red in the face, Lady Antwood, who insisted that they all call her Tilla now, was throwing herself into deep conversation about Hyrule trading policies and complaining loudly about the prices of silks being higher than ever. Adrian looked very bored but was humoring her all the same.

"If you'll excuse me." Zelda, now seeing an opportunity to get some alone time, snuck back into the crowd. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him trying to follow her but Lady Antwood was following him closely and kept throwing question after question after him.

Zelda took a drink from her goblet and felt the hot liquid warm the inside of her belly. The Dranavirs may not have been the most pleasant people to talk to, but their mulled wine was rich in flavor and very potent compared to the white vintages Hyrule had to offer. It didn't take Zelda very long at all to start feeling light headed and giddy in spite of the fact that she was still miserable about the whole wedding affair. When her goblet was empty, she had almost forgotten about it entirely. The wine was VERY strong. Zelda laughed out loud and felt as if she had drank liquid confidence.

With her now new attitude, she found it very easy to enjoy herself. She conversated with nearly anyone who would listen. She even managed to work up a little appetite and enjoyed some of the Dranavir's firecracker boar. A dish that was rich in hot spices and burned the tongue but tasted awfully delicious. The juices from the meat ran down her mouth as she sucked at the bone and licked her fingers. One of her maids came over hurriedly and cleaned her face. Chiding her for not acting like a lady in front of her guests.

Their food and wine is not so bad. Perhaps the Dranavirs are not as awful as I had once thought. In fact, nearly everyone who is here tonight has said nothing but good things about them. Maybe I was wrong...

Zelda felt a twinge of guilt. She had not been the most gracious host. In fact she had been quite rude and cold. Though under the guilt a little voice inside of her was saying "Beware...beware..."

The music began to change to a more slow and quiet pace. The party was starting to wind down. The food tables were being cleaned up and desserts were now being brought out. Zelda was too full to even think about dessert. It seemed like the rest of the party felt the same way. Instead of heading to the dessert table, people were now beginning to move to the center of the hall as they grabbed partners to dance with.

Happily, she watched as silks twirled and bobbed up and down. Men's coat tails swished back and forth and they moved in time with the music. Zelda liked to watch the girls as they tittered next to the walls, their faces widened in glee whenever a handsome single young man would come and ask them for a dance. For some reason she thought of Link when she looked at their smiling faces. She kept having this feeling that he was there watching her. She had wanted to go and look for him but every time she had, she was pulled into conversation or made to try someone's appetizer. In the end she had given up. If he had been here, he would have made himself known and came to her. She was almost positive of that.

"More wine?" Zelda jumped at the unexpected voice behind her. Adrian now looked a little disheveled, his neat black hair was lightly tousled and he had removed his long heavy cloak. He looked a little bit softer and Zelda could almost see the handsomeness in his face.

"Well..." she paused, trying to think of a reason to send him away. She could not. "Just a little more won't hurt."

When he came back they were actually able to strike up a little bit of conversation. Zelda, now feeling VERY tipsy, was horrified that she was beginning to feel some sort of attraction to him. She couldn't help but notice how strong and calloused his hands were, he had an honest face when he wasn't sneering and acting like a prat. He was funny and said just the right things to make her blush.

_It's the wine. Just the wine..._

But the voice inside of her head was becoming quieter and quieter now.

The band began to play another slow song. One of Zelda's favorites. The melody was sweet and longing, she swayed back and forth as she listened to the melancholy sounds of the cello playing.

"Care to dance." Adrian almost whispered. He had been quiet for awhile, as if he had been pondering something. Zelda felt herself grow red in the face. She picked up her almost full goblet and drained the rest into her throat. For some reason the wine seemed to be even stronger this time, not as cloyingly sweet, but almost...bitter. Adrian grinned broadly at this and Zelda felt a slight stab of panic that she quickly brushed off as nerves. Her head swimming with all kinds of thoughts.

Quietly she stood up and tried to grab his hand. Her balance was off and she lurched forward into his chest. The room, slightly spinning.

"Easy." he steadied her. "We're almost there, I just need you here for a few more minutes." Letting her lean her body weight onto his, Adrian helped walk her out to the dance floor. She was confused by what he had meant but the urge to not throw up was so strong that she had no time to think about it.

The room began to blur, candle light twinkled in and out of her sight as she tried to follow Adrian to the dance floor. She barely noticed at first that they were going in the opposite direction towards the exit. She tried to say something but she was afraid if she opened her mouth that bile was going to shoot out. Her feet felt like lead and she needed Adrian to support her or else she felt as if she was going to fall. Just as they were leaving the main hall, she thought she had seen Link looking at them.

"I'm going to be sick." she finally managed to choke out. Feeling embarrassed that he had to see her this way. "I need to lay down."

"We will soon. Very soon." Adrian's voice alarmed her. His tone had completely changed from when they were in the main hall. It was gruff and dark and it was scaring her.

"Please my room." she managed to choke out.

"Is the princess okay?" Some of the party goers had dispersed into the adjoining rooms. A man with a monocle was beginning to come over and eyed both of them curiously.

"She has had much to drink. I'm taking her to her chambers." Adrian had to shift his weight to keep Zelda from falling over. She tried to ask the man for help but all she managed to do was fill her mouth with hot vomit. She swallowed quickly and closed her eyes tightly shut.

The man with the monocle looked disgusted by her state. "You best take her to one of the wait staff's chambers. They are closer by. Her father would be furious if he found out she was acting like this in front of his guests. Best do it quick, she looks as if she's going to be sick."

Zelda tried to scream at him with her eyes. "_HELP ME! HELP ME!_" She wanted to say. The man only stepped further away, afraid that she would soil his good suit. She suddenly felt weightless and noticed that Adrian had picked her up and was hurrying away from the crowd.

They walked from corridor to corridor until the hallways were completely empty. The sound from the party had faded into almost a dull murmur. The sound was weird and alien and felt hundreds of miles away. It was colder underneath the castle, darker, and smelling more like musk and dirt. Zelda vaguely remembered hearing the latch of a door open. She was suddenly dropped on what seemed to be a pile of straw. What was going on?

"Please. Send for one of my maids. I can't bear for you to see me like this." Zelda rolled over limply and struggled to keep her eyes open. She didn't want to pass out here, like this.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Adrian said coldly and she heard the latch of the door being shut. The light from the hall dimmed out and only a small flickering candle in the room gave them any light.

"But...but wh-"

"Sssshhhhhh..." she felt a rough hand grab the back of her gown. With one swift move he untied the back and slipped the gown off of her shoulders so it fell to her waist.

"What are you doing?" she tried to stand up but her legs felt like jelly. She clutched tightly at her corset which was now the only thing standing between her breasts and him.

He grabbed the nape of her neck tightly and shoved his mouth onto hers. His kiss was rough, the stubble from his chin scratching her delicate features. She tried to push him off of her but he was so strong and she felt so weak.

"What are you doing?" she tried to scream but all that came out was incoherent muffling. He had clasped his hand around her mouth. Fingers were digging into her cheeks.

"We need to make a prince." he said calmly as he began to take off clothes. "Don't worry. You should be asleep soon. You won't remember any of this."

To her horror Zelda realized that she was almost paralyzed. Her body felt as it had been made out of stone, it was so difficult to move and she was becoming more and more sleepy. She tried to kick him away from her but in her state she missed and slumped back against the wall exhausted.

_I'm going to die. This is how I am going to die._ She cried bitterly to herself. Too tired to even speak anymore.

She felt rough hands untie her corset and her world went black.


End file.
